


The Mystery in the City of Chains

by Lavavulture



Series: Dog and Cole's Magical Rom-Com Adventures [4]
Category: Dragon Age II, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Angst and Fluff and Smut, F/F, M/M, Minor Character Death, So Much Dirty Talk
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-08
Updated: 2016-01-17
Packaged: 2018-03-17 00:45:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 45,151
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3508841
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lavavulture/pseuds/Lavavulture
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Varric convinces Cole and Dog to try their luck in Kirkwall, where they proceed to make new friends, become semi-gainfully employed in a business that seems to involve lots of caves, and solve a grisly mystery Scooby-Doo-style.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. In Which There Is a Birthday and an Unexpected Visitor

**Author's Note:**

> I've semi-ignored what Varric said everybody was doing because I wanted everybody back in Kirkwall, at least for the most part. Sebastian and Tallis won't be in this because I've never downloaded the poor things and I don't even know what they look like. Otherwise if you're familiar with Dragon Age II this will all seem pretty standard.

Dog let his fingers dig into the stonework behind him, his head pressed against the wall. On his left was the massive door that led to the Inquisitor’s War Room, where she had planned her victory over Corypheus and succeeded above everyone’s expectations. On his right, much farther down the long hallway, was the Lady Montilyet’s office, where she was probably busily sending out missives to their allies in order to move the Inquisition’s goals forward.

Directly in front of him Cole was kneeling, his knobby knees pushing into the ground as he frantically licked Dog’s cock. He was beautifully frenzied, both of his hands clutching at the base of his thick shaft while he tried to fit as much of it into his mouth as possible. He was moaning around his work and Dog was struck not for the first time with how much Cole enjoyed giving pleasure. He’d never been with someone who was so aroused by sucking another person off. 

“So good to me, sweet,” Dog murmured, letting one of his big hands fall to Cole’s head. His hat had fallen somewhere farther away than he would probably like when he was finished but for now he only moaned harder as Dog gently gripped some of his hair.

Dog’s head fell forward slightly as the vibrations ran up and down his erection and he panted. “Touch yourself. Want to see you stroke that pretty prick.”

Cole sent one of his hands fumbling down towards his pants but his coordination was apparently all spent with his current endeavor since he barely pulled himself out before gripping Dog again. His clever tongue, usually so busy with alliteration and poetic observations, traced the veins on Dog’s cock with growing desperation.

It was too much for Dog and he came with a quiet grunt, fingers twisted in Cole’s hair. He pulled a shaking Cole up to his feet and kissed him roughly, lingering on his trembling mouth. Finally he turned Cole around and pushed him up against the wall. He put one of his hands over Cole’s mouth out of consideration for the diplomat working hard so near them and pressed his body firmly against his.

“Didn’t even make it to the War Room, did we?” Dog took Cole’s long cock in his hand and began stroking him firmly. Cole moaned thickly against his hand. 

“Wanted to have you on that big table, spread open your long legs, slide right inside.” He pressed his hips to Cole’s ass, making his body a tight cage around him. He wished they had made it before Cole had dropped to his knees like an eager supplicant. He would have loved to fuck Cole on the table that had helped save the entire world.

Cole nodded his head, although Dog didn’t know if it was in agreement of his first remark or endorsement of his second. Dog licked at his ear. “Such a good birthday present, you are.”

With a full-body shudder Cole came against the wall. Dog held him through his shaking for a few minutes longer. They’d christened almost every hidden spot in Skyhold but Cole still orgasmed like it was the first time he’d ever felt anything like it.

After a few moments of kissing sweetly against the wall they sorted themselves out and Cole retrieved his hat from where it had gotten stuck in a crumbling part of the fortress wall. He gave Dog an odd look.

“The sledgehammer I found was your present, not me,” he said, as though they had just been having a conversation about it instead of it being part of the dirty talk that sent him over the edge. Dog wasn’t really sure Cole understood dirty talk as a concept. He certainly took everything Dog said in the heat of the moment as literal truth.

“It’s a gem too,” Dog agreed, lifting it off the ground where he’d dropped it when Cole had gone down. It was a huge hammer, almost as tall as he was and so dark he prayed he never lost it at night. He wondered how Cole had gotten it back home. He knew he was strong, deceptively so for how thin he looked at first glance, but Dog could barely lift it and he could pull a carriage himself.

“I saw it on a crumbling guard tower and the Iron Bull used it to crush a bandit into the mountainside. He said that it was very good but that I could have it if I wanted.” Cole suddenly whipped his head around, looking towards the door to their right like it was on fire. Dog looked over but he didn’t see anything out of the ordinary. Not that this meant much when it came to what got Cole’s attention most days. 

“What is it, rabbit? The Lady realize we were here?” Dog didn’t love the idea of getting caught by Josephine. He liked to listen to her Antivan accent and she had a way of talking to everyone, gentry and common folk alike, that he found refreshing in a noble.

“Something is happening. Something,” Cole leaned his head to the side. “Nothing is wrong, no one is hurt but everyone is so loud inside right now.”

“What are they excited about?” Dog asked but he realized Cole might not be able to tell. His ability to read other people had faded to a degree that he suspected disturbed Cole. 

Cole shook his head in frustration. “There are too many people and they’re all feeling too much.”

“Let’s go check on it then. Don’t want nobody having party without us.” Dog took Cole’s hand in his and pulled him towards the door.

Josephine wasn’t at her desk when they went through the door and Dog was profoundly relieved. Oddly her desk was a bit of a mess as though she’d dropped everything onto it quickly and left. When they went out into the main hall they were surprised to see what looked like everyone in Skyhold excitedly pressed together in the room. They were all whispering together and looking towards the entrance.

“What’s all this?” Dog asked Dagna, who was standing on a large piece of rubble and straining to the see over the crowd.

“Oh boy, you really missed it! It’s the Champion of Kirkwall.” Dagna flashed him her bright smile and looked him over. “Normally I would never ask this but I really want to see her. Can I stand on your shoulders for a second?”

“Sure?” Dog carefully maneuvered Dagna onto his shoulders and winced when she squealed. “There she is! She looks just like Varric described her in his books. Although not as tall. Or as scary. She’s so pretty!”

“What’s she doing here? I thought she went to help them up at Weisshaupt.” Dog glanced over to Cole for confirmation only to see that he’d disappeared.

“I guess she’s done with that. I heard that the Hero of Ferelden sent messages to all the Grey Wardens telling them to meet her in Antiva City. Maybe the Champion didn’t want to go because she’s not a Warden.” Dagna excitedly grabbed the top of Dog’s head. “Oh, the Herald’s giving her some big medal. Maybe she’s joining the Inquisition!”


	2. In Which the Champion of Kirkwall Does Not Join the Inquisition

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've read that Chuckles is Varric's nickname for a sarcastic Hawke, which is perhaps unfair to Solas but he probably won't complain.

“Honestly I can’t wait to go back home,” Hawke said between a clenched smile. She took the medal from the Inquisitor and examined it closely. “Is this real gold?”

“Probably. I have lots of these. People leave them everywhere in Orlais.” The Herald waved at the crowd gathered around them and they cheered. “If you want I can have Josephine get you on a ship headed to Kirkwall.”

“Don’t worry, I’ve got a ride back.” Hawke scratched at the medal carefully with her clawed metal gauntlets. “I may spend the entire time tearing my hair out, but I’m going to meet a ship headed home.”

“So you did make contact with Rivaini! I thought she was going to a pirate bacchanalia near Denerim,” Varric said, the sly grin on his face he’d had since Hawke had shown up spreading wider.

Hawke rolled her eyes. “Bethany assured me it was a pirate gathering so that they could discuss the growing problem with Qunari ships. For my sake we are going to assume my lover didn’t take my little sister to a massive piratical orgy.”

The crowd parted a bit so that they could make their way towards the back of the hall. Josephine was standing next to the Inquisitor’s throne, her appearance projecting confidence and serenity despite the fact that an hour before she had received word that one of the other biggest heroes in Thedas was visiting them. None of the Inner Circle had ever seen her move so quickly. 

“You’re probably going to have to give a speech,” the Inquisitor said apologetically as they reached her throne. “Josephine is going to give a speech and then me and then you and then probably me again and maybe Cassandra if we can get her Worship up here. These people love speeches.”

“Right,” Hawke rolled her shoulders in preparation. “We’ll get through some speeches, have the big party, and then me and Varric can sneak out tonight. That way I won’t have to give another speech in the morning when I'm hungover.”

“I’m way ahead of you, Chuckles. I packed when I got your message.” Varric laughed. “Sneaking out in the middle of the night is becoming our calling card.”

“Are you leaving?” Cole asked, flashing into existence near Varric. His face was downcast and his pale eyes were so sad that Hawke wanted to give him her new medal to cheer him up.

“Actually I want to talk to you about that, Kid. Why don’t you two get to your speechifying? I definitely want to miss out on that.” Varric took Cole by the elbow and led him over to the Undercroft’s door where strangely enough Dagna was standing on Dog’s shoulders. She waved cheerfully at them.

“Is the Champion going to talk about killing that high dragon in the Bone Pit with just a rock? Or how she defeated the Arishok in vicious hand-to-hand combat to protect her pirate lover’s honor?” Dagna was practically jumping up and down in her excitement and with a frown Dog gently lowered her back down to the ground. “Oh shit, now I can’t see.”

“You can sit on shoulders like a baby child if you must,” Harritt said, coming out of the Undercroft. He flexed his strong blacksmith arms and picked Dagna up after she nodded eagerly. 

“Don’t look up my skirt,” she told him with a smile that suggested that he could do otherwise. Harritt just grunted in a way that didn’t express complete disinterest and they turned as a unit as Josephine began her welcoming speech.

“Let’s go. This is going to last a few hours. Hawke can get really into her speeches.” Varric led Cole and Dog down into the Undercroft, where he stopped and looked around in surprise. “I had no idea there was a waterfall in here. I really should have explored Skyhold a little more.”

“Do you have to go?” Cole asked, picking sadly at his shirt sleeve. “Can’t Hawke stay here so that you can be happy and stay?”

“It’s not about being happy, Kid. Kirkwall is my home and I’ve been away too long. Hawke feels the same way. Plus the Inquisition’s moving in a new direction now that the world’s been saved and I don’t really think they need me anymore. I’m not the fancy diplomatic sort and they already have a spy.” Varric sat down on blacksmith table. 

“Oh.” Cole lowered his head so that his hat was covering the majority of his face. Dog was starting to feel like an intruder on a private conversation but he didn’t want to leave if Cole was upset.

“Actually that’s what I wanted to talk to you about. You know how her Inquisitorialness really thinks you’re great and takes you damned near everywhere she goes?”

“Yeah, I noticed that,” Dog interjected. He folded his arms across his chest when Varric and Cole turned to look at him. “What? She could take you or Sera sometimes.”

“Right, that’s kind of what I’m getting at. The Inquisitor’s not going to be doing quite so much wandering around the country killing and collecting things. She’s a big deal in the most influential political movement out there now.” Varric scratched his head. “That means lots of boring balls and meetings and wearing fancy clothes that nobody really likes except Leliana and Vivienne.”

“They’re scratchy,” Cole agreed quietly.

“Exactly! It’s no fun and honestly, Kid, I don’t think that you would like it. Especially when she starts her diplomatic tour around Thedas. It’s going to be crowded and dull and there’s going to be way too many bureaucrats everywhere.” Varric hesitated.

“You want Cole to come to Kirkwall with you,” Dog said, realization flooding his eyes.

“Give the man a prize.” Varric pointed at him. “You should come too, of course. There’s no shortage of questionable work in Kirkwall. And I know the Guard Captain so I’m pretty good at avoiding her when I need to. Mostly.” 

Dog nodded thoughtfully. He’d never been to the Free Marshes but he had heard of the labyrinthine Kirkwall and its endless opportunities to disrupt the cushy lives of the wealthy. 

“Will we be gone forever?” Cole asked, his face still hidden under his hat.

“You’d only be gone as long as you wanted to be. Come back after the Inquisition brings presents to every figurehead in the world. I just think you’d enjoy meeting my friends a little more than the merchant princes in Antiva.”

“Rivaini, Daisy, Sunshine, Broody, and Aveline,” Cole listed carefully. “But not Blondie anymore. Not after he burned the sky.”

“Yeah, I should probably teach you their real names. And there are lots of other people. Kirkwall is my town, I know everybody worth knowing and most that aren’t. What do you say, Kid?” Varric scratched his head, searching more ammo. “Oh, you’ll get to go on a big boat with a real pirate crew!”

“I've never been on a pirate ship before,” Cole said finally. He looked up and there was some real interest on his face that had only been distress before. He thought for a moment. “Should I ask for permission to go?”

“You don’t need permission. You’re a grown man. We can tell everybody tonight at the party. It’s going to be crazy night.” Varric jumped off the table and clapped Cole on the back. “Hawke is a mess when she gets really drunk. Do not let her tell you any jokes. They’re all terrible.”

“Knock, knock,” Cole said dutifully.

Dog raised an eyebrow and opened his mouth.

“Don’t say anything.” Varric waved his hand. “Believe me, he’s not ready and you're not ready. Your relationship is still too new for that.”


	3. In Which the Inquisition Parties Like It’s 8:98 Blessed

“I’ve got a friend that would hate your face,” Hawke said, pointing her finger quite firmly into Dorian’s nose for a moment. “Just your whole face, hate it. But I think it’s nice.”

Most of the people had slowly stumbled their way out of the hall, leaving only some of the Inner Circle and a thoroughly drunk Hawke. She had challenged the Herald to a drinking contest to see which of them was more truly worthy of their notoriety. By some definition of the word she’d won and was currently celebrating her victory with Dorian and more booze.

“I do have a nice face. Your friend is a foolish friend,” Dorian had his head in Hawke’s lap on top of the table with his legs slung over a dozing Cullen’s back. Hawke had cornered Cullen earlier and they’d talked about places to eat in Kirkwall that they missed until he’d had eaten half of the feast that was still on the table and passed out in a food coma.

The Iron Bull came over to them and sat down heavily on the bench. He pulled Dorian into his lap and regarded Hawke with a cool expression.

“You dullard, don’t manhandle me,” Dorian protested but undercut his complaint a bit by throwing his arms around Iron Bull’s shoulders.

“Did you really kill the Arishok with one hand?” Iron Bull asked, his voice low.

“No, I used my blades.” Hawke patted the twin blades on her back. “He was a tough bastard though. I’ll be honest, I think he was holding back.”

The Iron Bull leaned back a bit, apparently satisfied. “The Arishok would never hold back. You must just be good. Maybe we could go a round before you leave?”

“Save us from your barbaric posturing.” Dorian’s head was starting to drop onto Bull’s chest.

“You like my barbaric posturing,” Iron Bull said and stood up suddenly, swinging Dorian over his shoulder and ignoring his sputtered protests. “We’re going to bed.”

“Nice meeting you both. You ever get Kirkwall’s way the drinks are on me.” Hawke raised her bottle to them.

“I’ll take you up on that,” Dorian warned. He saw Cole who was sitting very still with the Inquisitor sleeping against his shoulder. “Wait, put me down.”

“Right,” Iron Bull said. He set Dorian down and gently maneuvered the Inquisitor’s head to the table before pulling Cole into an engulfing hug.

“I thought that we could only slap each other’s back with one hand,” Cole said against Bull’s massive chest.

“This is a special occasion, Kid. You get a hug when you leave and one when you come back.” The Iron Bull let him go and patted him on back before stepping aside.

“You really must come back,” Dorian said, hugging him briefly. “I have so many more questions.”

“About the Fade?” Cole frowned in concentration. “No, it’s an excuse. The curiosity is a mask for caring.”

“Goodbye, Cole.” Dorian chuckled and let Iron Bull lead him away.

Cassandra strode over to Cole. She had a deep frown on her face as she put one hand on his shoulder.

“You must be good while you are in Kirkwall, Cole. You represent the Inquisition for you and for Varric.”

Cole nodded solemnly. “I will send you the next part of his book when he finishes it.”

Cassandra pursed her lips in obvious inner torment. “If you wish. Yes. Please do.”

She went away quickly.

Next Leliana came over and kissed Cole lightly on the cheek. “Kirkwall holds many secrets, most of them quite scandalous. You must have fun while you are there.”

“You’re brighter now than you were before. The Warden would be proud,” Cole said, rubbing his reddened cheek.

Leliana laughed and kissed his other cheek. “You are a rarity, Cole. Do not lose that.”

As Leliana left she patted Cullen on the back and Josephine came over to help her carry him out.

“Goodbye for now, Cole! Please do not say anything to anyone too important! If you do please write and tell me what you said!” Josephine called out as she left. 

Blackwall sighed and stood up unsteadily. He held his hand out to Cole. “This is where we part ways, lad. I’ll be following the Wardens to Antiva. I don’t know that we’ll ever meet again.”

Cole took his hand, holding it limply. “The secret is in the blood. It changes them but you already changed twice. We’ll never meet again even if you do come back.”

“Right,” Blackwall said, shaking his head as he left.

Suddenly the doors to the hall swung open with a loud crash that startled the Inquisitor awake. Sera and Dog walked in, the former with a jaunty swagger in her steps and barely-concealed laughter falling from her mouth.

“Wait till you see it!” Sera crowed. “It’s the best one yet.”

“Best what?” Hawke asked, cradling a bottle in her lap and yawning widely.

“Don’t ask,” Varric said, following them.

“Prank, of course. I had to do it now because I couldn’t lift them on my own. But the idea was all mine!” 

“What did you do?” The Inquisitor rubbed her eyes.

“You’ll see,” Sera said slyly and then gasped. “You’ll have the best view! Let’s go to bed and look in the morning!” 

Sera wrapped her arm around the Inquisitor’s waist and pulled her to her feet, starting to drag her way. 

“Wait, wait!” The Inquisitor laughed and pulled away. 

She went back to Cole and hugged him fiercely. “I couldn’t have done all of this without you. Thank you for believing in me.”

“You saw me and didn’t forget. You made me constant flesh and weren’t afraid. Thank you,” Cole wrapped his arms around her and they held each other for a minute. Sera and Dog exchanged looks.

“Come on! Stop being all weepy. He’ll be back before you know it. Wait, it’ll be back. I meant it.” Sera grabbed the Inquisitor’s arm and pulled her away, sticking her tongue out at Cole as she went.

“You have to be back for the wedding, Cole. I want you and everybody else here when Sera and I get married after the tour.” 

“Why do we have to have a wedding? Weddings are big and stupid! We should just have sex in front of the Divine,” Sera complained.

“But people will bring us presents,” the Inquisitor said enticingly. “Lots of shiny, pretty presents.”

“Come back for our wedding, you three! Fuck, bring the Champion! And you two have to both bring gifts! Don’t be cheap arseholes and split one!” Sera yelled at Cole and Dog as she left. The Inquisitor waved goodbye.

Dog wrapped his arms around a suddenly downcast Cole. He turned his head to Varric and a sleeping Hawke. “We’ve got to go pack.”

“That’s fine. Just make sure that you meet us at the gates before sunrise.” Varric nudged Hawke with his foot and shook his head. “I’ll take care of the Champion here.”

“Come on, sweet,” Dog whispered in Cole’s ear and led him out of the hall. Out in the courtyard, Cole came to a stop and stared at the tavern roof, bathed in moonlight.

Cole blinked. “That’s not right, is it? Is it so the birds will have somewhere to eat?”

“Sera’s big idea. She said it was to punish the tavern keeper for kicking us out.” Dog paused, thinking it over. “Though it was her doing that made him kick us out.”

He leaned over and nuzzled Cole’s neck. “She didn’t like hearing us have our fun.”

“I don’t have anything to pack. Everything that’s mine is here.” Cole patted a pocket on his shirt and leaned his head over a bit, letting Dog move his mouth to his throat.

“I don’t have anything either,” Dog said, biting at a tender spot right under Cole’s chin. “That was my plan, sweet.”

“Oh,” Cole said and the word was half a sigh, his eyes closing. “Dagna and Harritt are in the War Room, gasping, searching, exploring, conquering Orlais for Orzammar and Ferelden.”

“Pity that. We’ll have to catch it when we come back.” Dog slid his hands down to Cole’s hips. “Always was partial to the little space under the stairs here though.”

“Halfway between in and out,” Cole said vaguely, wrapping his arms around Dog’s neck and his legs around his waist.

“I can do that,” Dog said earnestly.


	4. In Which Vivienne Gets the Last Word As Is Only Right

Dog huffed against Cole’s hair as he pressed into him. Cole was wrapped around him like a shadow, his open mouth wet and gasping against his shoulder and his fingers digging into his broad back. The angle was a bit awkward in the curved archway of the stairs but Cole didn’t seem to mind the way his spine had to contort as he was worked down onto Dog’s thick shaft.

“Little more, sweet, you can take a little more,” Dog whispered, his hands helping to spread Cole open as he pushed up. “You’d like it all, wouldn’t you?”

“Yes!” Cole said, his voice breaking into a stunned cry as Dog found the bottom.

“Course you do.” Dog snapped his hips up, jolting Cole into a choked-off moan. “Being human’s being a little greedy. Are you a little greedy for my big prick?”

Cole nodded, his legs tightening around Dog’s waist to give him better leverage to move faster.

“So honest, you know what you want. I’ll give it to you.” Dog gripped Cole’s hips as he fucked into him hard. Cole went to pieces in his arms, crying out with abandon. “You let them all know you’re real.”

“Yes, yes, real, flesh in flesh, pulsing and throbbing,” Cole babbled. “Building until it breaks.”

“Break for me, sweet, come on. I’m greedy too. Want your, fuck!” Dog broke off his stream of coaxing dirty talk as Cole tightened impossibly around him. He groaned, pushing in as deep as he could to follow him over the edge.

He panted and pressed his forehead to Cole’s slick forehead, lifting one hand up to push some of the sweat-slick hair out of his eyes. Cole whimpered in protest as he slid out. 

“Don’t like it either,” Dog said, helping Cole stand on unsteady legs. He pulled a cloth from his bag and gingerly wiped himself off. Instead of giving it to Cole though he pulled him close and slid his hand down to the slick mess slipping down his thighs. “Wish I could keep you like this, wet and ready for me all the time.”

Cole shivered as Dog touched him. “But we’re going to Kirkwall soon. And people will be coming here in the morning and they might not want us to have sex under the stairs while they go to their shops.”

Dog chuckled. “You’re right as usual, rabbit.”

He kissed him on the nose and laughed again when he wrinkled his nose. They got dressed quickly and slipped out from underneath the stairs, coming back around to the courtyard. To Dog’s shock and horror he saw Vivienne standing near the tavern. She was looking up to the roof with polite interest on her face.

“How long have you been there, Madame?” Dog asked. He certainly didn’t mind most of Skyhold hearing him work Cole up to a frenzy but Vivienne was not most of anything. She was singular and terrifying.

“That’s a delightful prank, for once,” Vivienne said, ignoring his question. “The fraternities did ones quite like it. Of course they used magic to get the tables and chairs onto the roof. And they arranged them much more elegantly.”

“It was hard getting them through the window in Sera’s room. Did my best,” Dog said and wondered why he was defending his table arrangement.

“Of course you did, my dear.” Vivienne sniffed and turned to Cole. “You’re leaving then?”

“Yes. Varric wants to see the light across the chains again.” Cole straightened his hat on his head.

“It is for the best. You are not an appropriate companion on a diplomatic tour.” Vivienne reached inside the beautifully-stitched satchel on her side. She pulled out a small blue leather-bound book. “Do you know what this is, demon?”

Cole stared at it for a moment. “The candle flickers, dims, but the ink is not dry and the words are still coming. They’ll go into the flames come morning but for now they can hear the truth that no one else can know.”

“Yes, that’s what it was for me although again I’ll thank you to stay out of my head. It’s a mage student’s first possession. All of them are given one when they enter the Circle, so that they can write their notes and their feelings,” Vivienne paused. “The real Cole must have had one.”

“Yes,” Cole said, his spine stiffening. Dog rubbed his back soothingly but Cole was too focused on the book in Vivienne’s hand. “The Templars would read it.”

“Of course, if they have reason to suspect the mage.” Vivienne frowned, actually hesitating. “Or if they are abusing their authority.”

“We know what you wrote about us, mage, you’re not supposed to tell anyone or anything.”

“Madame, please,” Dog said, worried at the cold tone in Cole’s voice and even more worried at the faraway look in his eyes.

“I want you to take this.” Vivienne pushed the book into Cole’s limp hand. His fingers curled around it and he looked down in surprise.

“Are you giving me a gift?” Cole asked curiously, his voice brightening.

“Of sorts, I suppose.” Vivienne held her head up, her confidence returning so quickly that Dog would later question that he saw it falter. “I never want you to forget the life you’ve stolen. He was a mage, even if he didn’t want to be one. This was a part of his life. Take it and remember him.”

“You’re sad for him,” Cole said and he sounded shocked.

“I have been a mage my entire life, demon. It hasn’t been a tragedy. I’m merely disappointed that he was never able to learn that.”

Vivienne then nodded regally to them and walked over to the stairs. She paused at the foot of the stairs and glanced back over to Dog.

“I was here long enough, my dear. But I’ve lived in Orlais for years. Young men fumbling in the dark is nothing shocking to me. Especially when it is such amateurish fumbling.” She didn’t smile but the look on her face was something that Dog would never forget. 

Dog blinked at the insult and watched her leave. Cole gently pulled on his shirt sleeve. He looked at him.

“I thought that it was nice,” Cole said reassuringly.


	5. In Which Everybody Finally Fucking Leaves and Cole Takes a Nap

“Leave me to die,” Hawke grumbled as Varric helped her stumble over to where Dog and Cole were sitting by the gates. 

“I’m not explaining that one to Sunshine or Rivaini. I like all my bits right where they are, thank you.” Varric nodded to them. “You kids all packed up?”

Cole held up the blue book in his hand. “This was a warning but it was also a gift. I don’t have anything to pack it in.”

Varric frowned and opened up his bag, which was fairly stuffed with books and paper. “Just don’t forget it’s in here or I’ll start writing my next novel in it.”

They walked the length of the bridge beyond the gates until they reached a wagon filled with hay and a sleepy-looking merchant. 

Varric paused at the wagon and looked back to Skyhold. “I think I’m actually going to miss this place.”

“Horses snorting in the stables, bread baking in the morning, light stretching the length of the courtyard until everything is awake and alive with a new day.” Cole wasn’t looking back but his tone was wistful.

“Yeah, Kid, it’s a pretty special place.” Varric patted him on the back and then turned decisively to the merchant. “So you think you’ll make it down the mountain after the night we’ve all had?”

“I’ve lost the feeling in my legs from drink but my horses know the way, never fear, sir.”

“May I say that that is very reassuring?” Hawke threw herself into the back of the wagon and immediately buried her face in the hay. “Don’t wake me up for a few hours or I may throw up on you.”

“Why don’t you two try to get some sleep?” Varric suggested to Dog and Cole, climbing up in the front to sit next to the merchant. 

“I am tired,” Dog said and he hesitantly settled himself into the cart next to Hawke. Cole obediently followed him in and stretched out on the other side. 

Cole felt a little tired as well, his eyes drooping down without his permission, his limbs heavy as he propped his head on the soft hay after setting his hat up into the corner of the wagon. He watched Dog’s face for a few moments as the wagon started moving, the motion gentle and steady down the road.

Solas had asked him once what it felt like to peer into other people’s minds and he hadn’t quite known what to say. Before it had been as easy as looking at them and seeing underneath their face to where their fear and pain lay naked and raw inside a nest of memories.

Now it had become much harder. He stared sleepily at Dog’s restful face and tried to look underneath his tanned skin and crooked nose. He’d peered there so many times before, to the small hurts that Dog hid under bravado and goodwill. He’d gone deeper more times than that, lingering in the pain of loss and fear so that he could know where they took root and how to loosen them. Often he’d wrapped himself up in the warm spots that were shaped like him, fascinated that someone saw him so differently than anyone else, saw him with a liquid heat that bubbled over so often that he felt wonderfully overwhelmed by it.

Dog had said that he was a little greedy and although greed was dangerous to a spirit he trusted him that it was all right to feel it in small doses. There seemed to be no other course. He did feel addicted to those fierce, bright sensations and he didn’t want them to be limited. Sometimes he feared that this was what spirits said to themselves before they fell over into something else but his friends thought of him as human and humans were capable of greater complexity of feeling.

Cole’s eyes were falling shut as he tried to look deeper. This wasn’t the lake or sheep that others had suggested that he think about to fall asleep but he found that this helped more. He touched a curious, fresh feeling of guilty embarrassment near the surface of Dog’s memories. He felt along the threads of it to see Vivienne, sterner and more fearsome here than she was in actuality, and followed that feeling deeper until he got to a nervous excitement that Dog was trying to push down.

Dog had secretly liked it that Vivienne had heard them together, desperate and heated, and he was embarrassed by the thrill that the idea gave him. The thrill had flown into a fantasy that he was trying to suppress, where Vivienne stood before them and gave Dog clear instructions of what to do to Cole, pushing them further than they’d been before. Cole always liked to see himself in Dog’s mind and he watched the other him writhe a moment with a pleased curiosity. He looked happy.

Suddenly the sweetly lurid image faded away and Cole found himself in a wide canyon under a bright sun. He blinked. He’d fallen asleep so quickly this time.

Other people’s dreams were different than his and that had upset him at first. He wanted people dreams, with talking bears and people he’d met once having drinks with giants as though it was perfectly normal. That had seemed wonderful. 

Instead he just went wherever he was, sometimes falling into the history of a place or sometimes moving forward into a vague representation of a location’s future. He had walked a freshly constructed Skyhold many times and once woken up shivering with upset over seeing it crumbled into dust with strange lights overhead.

Cole had learned to accept it but he still felt a little disappointed to just be in a wide field, no more special than any other. A tiny elf was standing near him and he decided to greet her.

“Hello,” Cole said to the pale elf, her hair dark and long and her face clear of any tattoos. There were often people in his dreams but they rarely noticed him.

The elf looked at him in surprise and said something in rapid Dalish.

“I’m sorry, I don’t understand.” Cole sighed in disappointment when the elf said something else in Dalish, now looking a bit put-out. 

He decided that there was no point in exploring the field since there was nothing around for miles that he could see. He dropped to the ground and spread out under the sun, warm and pleasant against his skin. There were several fluffy clouds floating slowly across the sky.

Suddenly the elf dropped down beside him and they lay for a moment watching the sky. The woman pointed to a shape in the sky.

“Halla,” she said clearly. Cole squinted at it for a moment. 

“It’s a cloud. The halla can’t fly,” he told her, worried for a moment that he was wrong and that halla could fly when humans weren’t around. Of course this would be an especially big halla, one that was fluffy white and moving very slowly.

She looked at him with open derision and pointed more emphatically. “Halla!”

The woman made horn shapes with her fingers above her head.

“It does look like a halla,” Cole relented, deciding that he didn’t want to argue with his new friend. Elves knew more about the halla anyway.

He pointed to another shape, with long flumes spreading out from a clump. “That’s a cloud but it looks like a bird, a bit.”

She nodded. “Bird.”

Cole had a thought that this would be a fun game to play on a lazy day and resolved to teach it to the others when he woke up.


	6. In Which Bandits Make Poor Life Decisions and the Group Reaches the Holiest City

Varric wondered if Hawke had an invisible sign above her head saying murder me that only those with ill intent could read. It would explain how he usually managed to go wherever he wanted without being accosted but Hawke could barely travel down a city road without wolves and bandits and dragonlings throwing themselves at her.

He cranked Bianca back a bit and sent down some aerial cover but he didn’t think it was really necessary. Hawke was like a demon on the ground, obviously grateful for the chance to spread her legs a bit.

“Taking it easy this time, Varric?” Hawke shouted to him. “I’ve already got three!”

“I did get two before they reached us. But you guys look like you’re having fun without me.” Varric watched Hawke run up behind a guy and slice him so hard that he flew up and back. Dog frowned when the guy fell against him and he brought his sledgehammer down heavily onto his head.

“That still counts as half mine!” Hawke insisted. “The half that’s not smashed!”

Cole was hard to spot on the ground, both because he spent most of the time invisibly stabbing people from behind and because he was so fast that Varric suspected the bandits didn’t even know he was there at all. All in all it took only minutes to reduce Denerim’s most notorious highwaymen to meat.

“Is that it?” Hawke scoffed, kicking the body closest to her in disappointment. “I barely broke a sweat.”

“This one has a mess of gold,” Dog said in awe, already pawing through the bandits for goodies. 

“Looks like this is your lucky day, Alain,” Hawke said to the merchant sitting next to Varric and watching with keen interest. Hawke paused and turned to Cole who had popped into flesh beside Dog. “Unless you can tell where this all came from? We could be heroic and take it back before we join a bloodthirsty pirate crew.”

“The gold was burning bright for weeks before, snaring, calling. This was the break. All that was left was leaving.” Cole was distractedly watching a nug that had wandered over to them.

“I’m hearing that as a no. Consider this a big tip for letting us travel with you.” Hawke smiled fondly at Alain as she cleaned off one of her blades. Over the couple of weeks it had taken them to travel to the outskirts of Denerim Hawke had really taken to her traveling companions. She’d become especially keen on Cole, just like Varric knew she would. Hawke was never happier than when she was taking in strays. 

“Can I keep some?” Dog asked, still pulling gold out of pockets and secret compartments.

“Keep lots, but don’t show any of it to Isabela when we join up. The Admiral considers everything on her ship her property. She’ll try to get you drunk and seduce it off of you.” Hawke considered it a moment. “Or maybe that’s just my money.”

“Kid, if you keep that up it’ll try to go into the city with us and get eaten by a hungry street urchin,” Varric said to Cole, who was carefully trying to lure the nug closer with carrots he’d pulled out of Dog’s bag.

Cole looked fairly upset at the idea and Dog patted him on top of his hat. “I need more room in my bag for this gold, rabbit. You can leave the rest of my food for it.”

“Don’t encourage him,” Varric warned but he still chuckled as Cole proceeded to dump the contents of the food bag he’d been given onto the ground. The nug seemed overwhelmed by the wide array of treats before it and began eagerly stuffing its lumpy little face, making odd little squeaking noises. 

“You’re welcome,” Cole told it happily and beamed at Varric in triumph. He rolled his eyes. 

They stopped briefly once inside the gates to bid farewell to Alain and then stopped longer once they were deeper in the first district of the city. There were marketplace stands and buildings everywhere, people rushing around, and children laughing and wailing. It was Fereldan chaos at its best.

“Much better than Val Royeaux, yeah?” Dog slung his arm around Cole’s long shoulders and smiled at the wide-eyed look of amazement on his face. 

“There are so many people here. And it’s so noisy,” Cole said shyly, leaning into his side.

“It’s the capital city of Ferelden. Birthplace of Andraste. Nothing like it.” Dog nodded to the chantry near them. “I’m going to leave some of this gold for the sisters. It’s good luck if you’re taking to the waters.”

“That’s right. Here, leave them some for me.” Varric shrugged at Hawke’s surprised face. ‘I just walked out on the Herald of Andraste at the height of her victory and the new Divine hates me. I need in Andraste’s good graces.”

“Why don’t you two explore a little and meet us in front of the Pearl? It’s the nicest brothel in town. I just need to drop off a message at Fort Drakon first.” Hawke nodded to Varric and they walked off towards the tower jutting up into the sky. 

“Been a time since we were alone,” Dog said slyly.

“We’re not alone though.” Cole still seemed a bit shocked at the noise of Denerim.

“Strong point, sweet, but I’ll bet I can find private place somewhere. Be nice to spend some time together before we get stuck on that boat.” Dog rubbed circles onto Cole’s back.

Cole broke out of his amazed people-watching and stared up at him, staring through. “You want to have sex in the chantry? For good luck?”

“I love it when you see right through me. It’s an old tradition. That’s why they only let people in at certain times. Trying to keep people from it is their tradition.” Dog eyed the chantry doors contemplatively. “I’ll distract the sisters with all this gold and you sneak in and let me through the back. There’s always a servant’s door in the back.”

“Can we look at the shops afterwards?” Cole had moved beyond people and was now staring with wonder at a stand filled just with hats.

“Anything you want.” Dog grinned when Cole disappeared. He could practically feel Andraste smiling down on them.


	7. In Which Surprisingly No One Goes to Prison and They All Visit a Brothel

“This is a real flash whorehouse,” Dog said with a whistle as they stood outside of the Pearl. He examined the ornate decorations outside the brothel with an almost too-intense scrutiny.

“What was all that commotion outside of the chantry earlier?” Varric asked them curiously.

“No idea,” Dog said quickly as Cole opened his mouth. “The sisters are always excited about something.”

“Dog accidentally knocked over a candle and set fire to the Reverend Mother’s curtains,” Cole told them, scratching a mark on his neck. “We were kissing in her room. For luck.”

“You’re a bloody tattle, rabbit.” Dog sighed at Hawke’s obnoxious smirk. “We paid for the bloody curtains. And Cole found this ring she’d lost. And then things got complicated.”

“The ring belonged to her brother. He died in the dark. She thought that a sister had taken it in anger but really it had fallen beneath the slats in her floor when Clarissa was cleaning.” Cole bounced on his heels as he carefully told the story. Varric had been trying to teach him how to string thoughts together more coherently for storytelling purposes.

“And who is Clarissa?” Varric leaned against the wall of the Pearl, enjoying himself too much for Dog’s comfort.

“She’s the Reverend Mother’s maid. I helped her to forgive her husband for joining the guards without telling her first. She was just afraid for him, thick and heavy in her chest night after night.”

“So did you help everybody in the chantry? Was all that noise them throwing you a party?” Hawke’s voice was warm with amusement.

“It wasn’t really a party, but everybody was happy when I showed them where the Grand Cleric’s gloves were. They thought they’d have to tell her they’d lost them but she had put them down and forgotten about them.” Cole pondered it for a moment. “She’s much older than everybody else.” 

“I thought they’d never let us leave. I thought they’d keep Cole there to find them everything they’d ever misplaced until we died of old age.” Dog had a haunted look in his eyes. “It was terrible. They kept trying to give him tea and little biscuits but didn’t offer a one to me.”

“They didn’t like you,” Cole told him and patted him consolingly on the arm.

“Dozens of women looking at me like grandmothers angry I was corrupting their precious grandbaby. They kept telling him he was blessed by Andraste and glaring at me.” Dog rubbed the back of his head. “We didn’t even get any clothes off before the fire happened so I don’t know what they were on about.”

“It sounds like a nightmare,” Hawke said with a straight face and then burst out laughing. 

“Clarissa gave me this bag so I can carry my book around now,” Cole told Varric, showing him the brightly-colored satchel at his side. Its vivid orange and purple colors stood out sharply against his hip. 

Varric stifled his own laughter and gave Cole his book. “Well, you two definitely had a fun afternoon.”

“Would have if the curtains had burst into flames a little later,” Dog muttered.

Varric was unable to hold back his laughter at this.

“Can we just go into the brothel already?” Dog squared his thick shoulders in annoyance but helped Cole close the unusually complicated buckle on his satchel.

Hawke wiped her eyes and breathed out hard. “Varric, I have to say that I feel a little wicked bringing Cole into a brothel.”

“I don’t mind,” Cole said. “The Iron Bull said that the people in brothels are usually nice and that I should always tip well.”

“Good advice. I still remember that one time we brought Daisy into the Blooming Rose. I thought that Aveline was going to break something in her face from scowling so hard when Rivaini explained what the rose looks like.” Varric rubbed his chin. “Good times.”

“We’re just meeting with your sweetheart, right? Not like we’re using coin for services rendered here. Don’t see the problem. There’s good drinks in a brothel.” Dog determinedly pushed opened the doors of the Pearl and walked inside. 

The group was barely into the building when they heard a high-pitched squeal and a curvy, dark-haired woman with Hawke’s nose ran up to them.

“Sister!” Bethany shouted, too-loud, her face flushed red. She hugged Hawke fiercely and then threw her arms around Varric. “It’s so good to see you both.”

“Sunshine, I really didn’t expect to see you in here,” Varric said, patting Bethany on the back before she let him go.

“Bela told me that I needed to keep an eye on the men so that they wouldn’t be too disruptive.” Bethany held up a bag of coins. “She also told me to buy myself time with someone that had eyes as pretty as mine but I’ve been buying drinks instead. I really like the drinks here.”

“Knew it,” Dog said and made his way to the bar. 

Varric held onto Cole’s arm before he could follow him. “Sunshine, this is my friend Cole. He’s going to be coming back with us to Kirkwall.”

“Hello, Cole,” Bethany said, hugging a surprised Cole tightly and not letting him go.

“Where is Isabela?” Hawke asked, crossing her arms. 

“Oh, she’s down at the docks getting the ship ready.” Bethany was still clinging to Cole like a monkey.

“She must be eager to leave,” Hawke mused thoughtfully. “She loves the Pearl.”

“These drinks are amazing,” Dog said coming back over to them with a bottle in both hands. He handed one to Cole, who sipped it politely. “It’s strong shit though.”

Cole made a face and gave his back. “It tastes like fire and leather and makes my head loud.”

“I’ll take it if he doesn’t want it!” Bethany reached out eagerly but Varric intercepted it.

“I think I’m cutting you off, Sunshine, before you accidentally cause a hurricane in here.” Varric took a drink. “Andraste’s tits, that’s strong.”

“Let’s find Bethany a nice, quiet corner to pass out in and have something to eat before we meet Isabela at the docks. I’m going to need my strength.” Hawke pointed to Cole. 

“Please feel free to solve everyone’s problems here. We might get free meal out of it.”

“I like that. Way better than tea.” Dog pulled Cole to his side and took a long swig. 

“I’ll try,” Cole said hesitantly.


	8. In Which Admiral Isabela Is Warm and Tender Like a Mother Hyena

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is longer than the other ones have been because I realized while looking at my outline that I still have a ways to go and I don't want this story to be a million chapters long. So the chapters will be longer from now on.

There was a small group of suspicious-looking men down at the docks in front of an impressive ship. A tall harried man was standing in front of them and talking quietly.

“I can’t believe Isabela’s still making Cooke act as her first mate,” Hawke said, shaking her head. “He hates people.”

“I think you’ve stumbled onto the reason why.” Varric nodded to the group. “Those must be the new recruits. Slightly less disreputable than what Rivaini usually goes for.”

The men went up into the ship and Cooke spotted Hawke coming down the walkway. He scowled deeply.

“Have you finally come back to your job so I can get back to mine, Hawke? This lot’s worse than the ones we picked up outside of Val Chevin.” Cooke glared heatedly at Varric for a moment and turned that glare towards Dog and Cole.

“I don’t know, Cooke, you do such a great job. I’d really hate for you to lose it just to go back to peeling potatoes.” Hawke raised a contemplative finger to her face that stayed for a few minutes too long when Isabela appeared behind Cooke.

“I thought I heard your voice, Hawke.” Isabela held up one hand in warning when Hawke started coming closer and shoved a mop at her with her other hand. “I’m not speaking to you until you scrub my deck. And I’m definitely talking about the one on my ship.”

“You’re mad about Weisshaupt, I see.” Hawke held the mop handle close to her chest, chastened.

“Why would I be mad that you ran off to the Wardens after almost getting eaten in the Fade? I hope you had fun with them because you’re certainly not going to with me on this trip. Get yourself onto the ship and get to work!” Isabela jerked her thumb behind her and watched sternly as Hawke and Cooke ascended up into the ship. She then smiled wide and fluttered her eyelashes at Varric.

“Rivaini, you’re looking more respectable than usual. Are those pants you’re wearing?” Varric put a hand on his hip and admired Isabela’s long leather-clad legs for a moment. She posed coquettishly for him.

“I’m just trying to get your attention, Varric. It’s not fair that you’ve been hoarding all your charm for the Herald of Andraste up in the mountains somewhere. Unholy women need you too.” Isabela raked her eyes over Dog’s massive frame and then more curiously over Cole and his mismatched clothes. “Who are your friends?”

“The big guy here is Dog. He used to steal stuff with the Red Jennies but now I don’t really know what he does except piss off old women.” Varric shrugged.

“Whatever you want me to, of course. I’m in your hands, Admiral,” Dog said, letting his eyes run over Isabela in open admiration. Flirting was just common sense with a woman like her.

“That’s a dangerous position to be in, Lucky.” Varric chuckled. He put his hand behind Cole’s back, pushing him forward a bit from where he’d been lingering behind them. “And this Cole. He’s my closest friend from the Inquisition.”

“I like your hat,” Cole said shyly, hiding his face under his own.

Isabela exchanged a quick, meaningful look with Varric and then smiled kindly at Cole. “Thank you. It is magnificent. After I give the new bunch my welcoming speech, why don’t you come up to my room and see my personal collection. I have just a ton of hats.”

“Really?” Cole peeked out at her.

“I take them from the captains whose treasure I take. So obviously I have dozens. I’m a very talented pirate.” Isabela cocked her hips to the side and winked at them as she led them onto the ship.

Once onboard Varric led them over to a less-crowded corner of the deck and they watched everyone bustle around. Hawke actually was scrubbing the deck, her armor piled up neatly near a door. She was just wearing thin linens underneath and the soapy water was already making them cling to her. Isabela pointedly ignored her suggestive grin as she ascended to the wheel next to Cooke and began supervising the crew’s efforts.

Eventually a bleary-eyed Bethany came onboard with the rest of the crew, all of which looked pretty happy. Bethany raised an eyebrow at Hawke’s cleaning and wandered over to Varric.

“I woke up with drool in my hair. I hate drinking.” Bethany rubbed her forehead slightly and avoided looking at Cole.

“At least it wasn’t vomit, Sunshine. That swill was dangerous.”

“The men insisted on buying out what they had and bringing it with them. I’m going to be treating hungover people even more than usual. And it’s very usual.” Bethany was pouting, her forehead wrinkled slightly.

“Rivaini still has you working as the ship’s healer?” Varric glanced up at Bethany in surprise.

“I’m the only one that knows any healing magic and the last healer they had fell overboard in the night.” Bethany crossed her arms. “I should never have let Anders teach me healing spells.”

“Well, it was a good idea at the time. Who knew he’d start a war, force you into hiding on a ship, and chain you to life of healing drunk pirates? Blondie upset all of our plans for the future.”

“I’m just happy we can finally go back to Kirkwall. It’ll be so good to be home again.” Bethany held her hand to her chest for a moment and closed her eyes. “The only time I got to see the manor was when we were fleeing that night.”

“No more late-night escapes. At least not for a while.” Varric’s smile was genuine but a little tight as he rubbed Bethany’s arm. 

“Hush up, you bastards! The Admiral’s about to say her piece!” Cooke shouted over the roar of the crowd. “All you new lot, listen up!”

“Thank you, Cooke, very welcoming as usual.” Isabela gripped the railing and glanced down at the men gathered around. “My name is Isabela and for the next few months I will be your Maker. I will not be your mother or your mistress. Sometimes men think a ship with a lady captain means that they’ll get to take it easy. Is that the case, boys?”

“No, Admiral!” The crew raised their fists in the air.

“That’s right. You work on my ship, until you feel like you’re going to fall over from exhaustion and then you work some more. While you work there’s not to be any fraternization. If I’m not getting any sex on this voyage, and I definitely won’t be, none of you will be either. Right, boys?”

There was another, less-enthusiastic affirmative shout. Some of the new men gave at each other doubtful glances. One particularly large man looked openly mutinous.

“Your reward for a long trip with no sex and back-breaking work will be treasure and freedom. Everyone gets a cut on my ship and I always make sure it’s a big cut. Then when we hit shore I’ll make sure all of you get the run of the best whorehouse in all of Kirkwall just like the men did here in Denerim. Right, boys?”

“Yes, Admiral!” This cheer was definitely enthused. Some of the men were clutching bottles from the Pearl and they waved them when they shouted. 

“Cooke here will go over the boring bits. Listen to him because he’s the one you’ll be making your complaints to during this trip.” Cooke sighed heavily when Isabela clapped him on the back. “Or if it’s really obnoxious tell the Champion of Kirkwall over there about it. She’s an open ear for anybody on this ship. In fact, if you need anything at any time, feel free to go to her. Isn’t that right, Hawke?

“Aye aye, Admiral.” Hawke saluted Isabela loosely.

“That’s everything then. Set sail.” Isabela grinned at the cheer and then nodded down to Varric and the others. “Let’s get you all settled in so I show off my hats.”

Cole looked thrilled. As the ship began moving Dog felt a curious stirring in his stomach and suddenly had a bad feeling about the whole thing.

The next couple of days proved him right as he was struck by astounding and terrifying seasickness. He spent his days staring despondently out at the horizon while Cole alternated between hovering over him like a worried hen and bounding around the ship in obvious joy. He spent his nights curled up on the cot in Bethany’s infirmary, listening to ridiculous excuses the men made to see her.

“You should eat something,” Cole told him the third evening, crouching beside the cot and patting him in a comforting way.

Dog considered the irony in Cole trying to get someone else to eat and then had to stop thinking about it because the thought of food made him want to die.

“You should leave me be,” Dog murmured. His tone was sharper than he liked but Cole just nodded and stood up.

“I’ll let you sleep. The water is quieter when you’re asleep.” Cole slipped out without saying goodbye to Bethany, which was just as well since she was studiously trying to avoid looking at him. Dog didn’t know if it was his spirit-nature that worried the young mage or if she was still embarrassed about feeling him up when she was drunk. Either way she tried to stay away from him.

It was possibly because of this that she didn’t meet with her sister and the others up in Isabela’s room that night, although she often said that watching Isabela and Hawke stare at each was too indecent for anyone to tolerate.

Cole sat cross-legged on the floor near the bed, carefully tying a knot with a thick piece of rope. He was already surrounded by various knots, all beautifully made, and a large open book with illustrations of more knots.

“It’s definitely a trap,” Isabela said as she read the formal invitation to Hawke from the new viscount of Kirkwall. As she read the letter she let her fingers fall to the top of Cole’s hat beside her and slide along the straps. 

“Absolutely,” Varric agreed. He was lying on his back with his head resting in Hawke’s lap. She frowned down at him.

“You’re all too suspicious.” Hawke smirked terribly. “Maybe they want to throw me a surprise party and reinstating my family title is their way of getting me to come back.”

“Oh, very likely.” Isabela beamed down as Cole handed her a finished knot. “That’s perfect, lamb. You’ll be running my ship by the end of this.”

Isabela was sublimating all of her sexual frustration into terrorizing her crew and doting on Cole like she’d plucked him out of a cabbage patch. He’d been following her around like a worshipful puppy, much to the consternation of some of the newer crewmembers.

A cold breeze came through Isabela’s open window and Cole shivered slightly. Isabela pursed her lips.

“That won’t do.” She reached into a chest in front of her bed and pulled out two lumpy, garishly-colored scarves. She wrapped the bright blue and yellow one several times around Cole’s neck before arranging the purple one casually around her own. She blinked at Varric and Hawke’s stunned expressions. “What? It’s cold in Fereldan waters.”

“I can’t believe you still have those,” Varric said slowly.

“Of course I do,” Isabela said indignantly. “Where are yours?”

“I burned mine and scattered the ashes on holy ground.” Varric sat up and pressed his fingers together. “It was the only way to be safe.”

“I accidentally tied mine to a bear and shoved it down a mountain.” Hawke shrugged. “The bear was dead of course. I never would have humiliated a living bear like that.”

Isabela gasped in mock disapproval. “I can’t believe you two. Dear Aveline made these with her own two giant hands. Do you know how hard it must have been for her to grip the needles with her thick fingers?”

“She made you two?” Hawke asked. “She didn’t make me two and I know she loves me more.”

“She’s made me five.” Isabela pulled them all out of her chest. She lifted up one that was only about a foot long. “She said she made this one for the mice on ship since vermin are so naturally drawn to me at night.”

“I miss the days when your open hostility wasn’t code for affection.” Varric shook his head. “The world made more sense then.”

“Don’t be silly. I’ve always adored Aveline.” Isabela carefully tied the scarf together around Cole’s neck so that it would stop falling down to his shoulders. Tied it bunched around his face like a mask. “You should see all the ones she made for Donnic. He’s more wool now than man.”

“It’s not a trap,” Cole said, his voice muffled behind the scarf.

“What makes you say that, Kid?” Varric leaned forward.

Cole lowered his head under their attention, letting his face disappear between hat and scarf. “Needles clicking, too fast, too sloppy. The lines will have to be ripped out later. The new viscount’s a solid man, dependable, decent. Hawke might actually like this one. His invitation might bring her back for good, home where she belongs. This damn scarf’s going to be too long. It can just go to the wench. She’ll take anything someone gives her.” 

“Aveline!” Isabela said with narrowed eyes. “I’m not leaving Kirkwall until she knits me a perfect scarf. And mittens. I want a whole bloody set!”

“If Aveline thinks the viscount is legitimate then he probably is.” Hawke rubbed her chin and went over to Isabela’s bed. She picked up a bright red scarf and looped it around her neck. “Unless she’s losing her paranoid touch.”

“Thank, Kid,” Varric said and Cole’s shoulders rose high with pleasure at the praise.

“You’re welcome,” he said softly.

“Such a good boy,” Isabela cooed. “Do you have a special girl back home, Cole?”

Varric snorted. Dog’s endless puking over her railing had annoyed Isabela to no end. He supposed their relationship hadn’t come up in Isabela’s bizarrely maternal mentoring sessions with Cole.

“All of the girls at home are special. Even Sera.” The last bit was said with some reluctance.

“But have you ever kissed one of them?” Isabela was coyly playing with a large unnecessary section of Cole’s scarf.

“No.” Cole thought about it. “But Leliana kissed me and told me to have fun in Kirkwall.

“My kind of woman.” Isabela winked at Hawke who rolled her eyes. “I can definitely make sure you have fun in Kirkwall, lamb. You just stick with your Admiral.”

Cole nodded, his wide eyes the only thing visible between his hat and the voluminous scarf.

The next day Dog took one look at the rising sun and couldn’t take it anymore. He turned around and went back to the infirmary.

“I’m not looking at your penis. I don’t care if you think there’s something wrong with it,” Bethany told a disappointed pirate as Dog descended down into her infirmary.

The man heaved a great sigh and trudged upstairs, checking Dog hard in the shoulder as he went. Dog considered punching him in the face but he felt way too nauseous for that. 

“You don’t have a problem with your penis, do you?” Bethany asked. She was scowling heavily as she’d been since the ship had set sail. Dog had seen plenty of it since they’d become unexpected bunkmates.

“You have to fix me. Or kill me. I’m fine with either so long as you do one.” Dog settled down into her creaking cot and pressed his head back against the cool wall.

“I’ve tried every remedy I’ve ever used before. I think you’re just not meant to be a pirate.” Bethany sighed at Dog’s miserable face and picked up a thick book she often consulted when she treated people. “I do have one spell that Anders created. I’ve never used it before so it’s very possible that it’ll blow the back of your head out.”

“Do it. I’m begging you.” Dog grabbed her hands and gripped them tightly. “I can’t spend months like this.”

Bethany shook her head but gently pressed her book open on the table and grabbed her staff. She pressed the tip of it directly against his temple and closed her eyes. Dog closed his as well in case this really did kill him. He wished that his potentially last words to Cole hadn’t been so dismissive but he was certain he knew how he really felt. He could still see a flash of green light behind his eyelids and every nerve in his body tensed horribly for a moment before there was a faint ripping sensation in his head near his ears.

When he opened his eyes the room wasn’t spinning for the first time in days. He blinked into Bethany’s round face, so similar to Hawke’s but softer, and he stood gingerly. She reached out her hands to steady him but he wrapped his arms around her in an enveloping hug.

“I don’t feel sick anymore,” he said with deep relief.

“I’m really surprised that worked to be honest. I’ll have to update my notes.” Bethany seemed more excited by that idea than by anything else since he’d met her.

“You’re good at this sort of thing. The Herald’s mages would probably love having you around.” Dog stretched happily. He was so grateful that he could move without nausea that he wanted to run the entire lap of the ship.

“You think? I was really impressed that the Inquisitor got all those different mages to work together so well. My sister only knew three really well and none of us could work together without fighting. It was almost a relief when they threw me in the Circle.” Bethany was writing carefully in her book, her shoulders loose and happy.

“What was that like? The Kirkwall Circle?” Varric had told him stories but he put less weight in the dwarf’s words than Cole did. 

Bethany glanced up at him, her eyes flashing for a moment. “There were probably more blood mages than most Circles. And more Tranquils. Some of the Templars were cruel.”

She dipped her quill into the inkwell and thought for a moment. “But honestly? I enjoyed it a little. I spent my whole childhood hiding myself away, suppressing my magic while my brother and sister protected me. It was nice being around other mages, exploring what I could do without worrying that I was upsetting my mother or Carver.”

“Maybe the new Divine will get Kirkwall a better Circle? The Inquisition mages were talking about spreading out to help build them.” Dog rubbed his neck. He really had never thought about the Circles before he’d met Cole and everything he’d learned from him made them sound monstrous.

Bethany shrugged. “Maybe. I’ll believe it when I see it. Kirkwall is a dangerous place to be a mage. There’s too much old magic in it.”

“I’d put my money on your sister over old magic most days.”

“I suppose that’s true. She’d just make a bad joke and stab it to death.” Bethany smiled.

“Any case I owe you, Lady Hawke.” Dog kissed her hand lightly and grinned back. “Anybody tries to get you to look at their prick from now on, you tell me and I’ll set them to rights.”

“Deal.” Bethany shook his hand.

Dog bounded happily out of the infirmary and for the first time since he’d boarded the ship he enjoyed the stiff breeze against his face. As he looked out at the churning water he realized that the ocean actually was beautiful after all. 

He remembered that Isabela had been looking for men to help move cargo around in storage and decided that he needed to convince the Admiral that he wasn’t a giant, useless lump of space. Dog waved cheerily to a surprised Varric and went down the stairs to the storage room. As he descended he nearly knocked Cole down the stairs as he was coming up.

“Steady there, rabbit.” Dog laughed and caught Cole around the waist before he could tumble down. He looked startled to see him, his pale eyes widening as he took him in. Strangely he was wearing a ridiculously oversized scarf that was bunched around his neck like a hideous fluffy cloud.

“You’re not churning anymore,” he said curiously. “The water is out of your head.”

Dog wrapped his arms tighter around him. “That’s right. Little Bethany fixed me.”

Cole was still looking intently at him but Dog’s joy was infectious. He finally leaned up and kissed him gently. “I’m glad you’re not broken inside now.”

“Me too,” Dog murmured, stirred by that soft kiss in a way he'd been unable to think about before. He lowered his head and kissed him back, still gentle but firm, letting his mouth linger. When he pulled away Cole had a pretty flush on his cheeks and he was peering up at him with hopeful eyes.

“That was a bad idea,” Dog said and pressed Cole into the wall of the stairs, kissing him again. Cole made a soft noise against his lips and he took the invitation gladly, slipping his tongue in. When he pulled away again Cole looked dazed and eager, his pale eyes fixed on his mouth.

“Don’t look at me like that,” Dog warned, sliding his thumb under his pointed chin slowly.

“Like what?” Cole asked and with anyone else it would have been a tease. With Cole Dog knew it was genuinely innocent and that knowledge made him ache. He gripped the scarf and pulled it loose.

“Like you want me to put my mouth on other parts of you.” Dog bit at his neck and imagined sliding down to his knees in the cramped stairway. Cole would shiver and cry under his tongue.

And alert the entire crew to what they were doing. If Isabela was so firm about not letting her own lover into her bed, Dog didn’t think she’d make an exception for them. He was already on her bad side.

“Right,” he muttered, cupping Cole’s face and pressing his forehead to his. “Let’s just take a moment here.”

“Are you not going to kiss me anymore?” Cole asked and that was almost his undoing. He sounded so disappointed.

“No, not right now, rabbit. You’re gonna tell me everything you’ve been doing the last few days. Every detail. Varric’s room nice? How’s your sleeping? ”

Cole still looked disappointed but his eyes did light up. “I’m below us in the water! There’s a bottom to the ocean and it is always black on the ground. I shouldn’t be able to see anything but I see monsters sleeping in the deep, big as Skyhold and bigger, waiting until it’s time to rise.”

Dog stared at him. “That’s terrifying.”

The ocean was definitely not beautiful. But Cole was so if he wanted to talk about the horrible creatures that were even now sleeping beneath him, he would listen.


	9. In Which a Random Pirate Learns About Boundaries and a Rat Is Given a Show

“You’re a filthy cheat,” the short pirate told Dog. His tiny mouth was pressed together in irritation and he glowered, fingering the knife at his side. 

Varric leaned back and watched. The men never spoke to him like that, probably because it was clear that Isabela would turn the ship back around if he said pretty please. However Dog had been staying in the cramped quarters of the new men in the few weeks since he’d recovered from his seasickness and they clearly saw him as one of them, for all the dubious benefits that incurred.

Dog smiled lazily, dragging his eyes away from where he’d been surreptitiously watching Cole stare out in the distance at the railing as one of the new men spoke to him. They tried to spend time together but Isabela kept Cole close to her side and in all honesty Dog didn’t trust himself to behave around him. He focused his sleepy eyes on the pirate and clucked his tongue.

“That’s hurtful, Spotty,” he said in a broad, friendly way. “I’m hurt you would think such a thing of me.”

“I say you’re cheating and I don’t like it.” The man stuck to his point, which frankly seemed foolish since Dog was easily three times his size. Small dogs always bark louder. 

“Let’s not say things that we regret, gentlemen,” Varric said lightly. He knew Dog had been cheating because he was definitely cheating and he was pretty sure everybody else was as well. Everybody cheated at Wicked Grace.

“I only regret my friend here not enjoying the game.” Dog set all his cards down on the table and gave Spotty his full attention. “Breaks my heart to hear it.”

Spotty looked at the neatly matching sets of cards Dog had set down and swore. “There’s no way you got all those!”

Whatever response Dog might have given to that was lost to the sound of a heavy splash.

“Man overboard!”

The crew turned towards the splash at the sentry’s call. Cole was standing stiffly at the railing, his hands clenched into fists at his side. He was turned towards the railing so Dog couldn’t see his face but there was an angry set to his shoulders. Varric stood up immediately but Isabela came on deck before he could go over to him.

“What are you all doing out here?” Isabela glared at her crew. Her hair was rumpled and her clothes were hastily buttoned. “I was napping.” 

“He wanted to break your rule,” Cole said to her, in a low but clear voice that carried across the ship’s deck.

“What?” Isabela asked, her irritated tone softened but not completely gone.

“That snotty pillock tried to grab himself a bit of arse!” The sentry was leaning out over the crow’s nest, grinning wildly. He’d been with Isabela for several voyages and loved every single one. “Your shadow tipped the fat fuck overboard!” 

Isabela hissed through her teeth in irritation. “I have one lousy rule and we’re barely at sea three weeks before someone tries to break it. Which one was it?”

“Alverson.”

“Oh, he really is a big boy, isn’t he?” Isabela made a face and then offered a more apologetic one to Cole. “I’m so sorry, lamb. I promise if we manage to get him out he’ll wish we hadn’t.”

“I’ll get him!” Dog volunteered eagerly. He was at Isabela’s side in a moment. She gave him quick surprised glance and shrugged.

“It’s your back,” she said. Cole was giving him a little sideways look as Dog hurriedly pulled his shirt off. Dog winked encouragingly at him. 

He took the rope a man offered to him and nodded to the crowd. “Wish me luck.”

The water was warmer than he’d expected and thankfully wasn’t choppy. Alverson was trying desperately to keep his head above water. Dog didn’t know why so many pirates couldn’t swim. He paddled over to him and wrapped the rope around his chest. The large man was difficult to maneuver, especially since he wouldn’t stop thrashing around.

“Careful, friend,” Dog said in a cheerful voice. “You don’t want the sharks to take an interest in us.”

“Sharks? There’s sharks nearby?” Alverson was finally steadied on the side of the ship, clutching to a board tightly. 

“Sharks and more, I hear.” He leaned in familiarly. “Rumors are that the Admiral’s shadow talks to all the beasts in the sea. It’s why she tends to him like a mother bear. They won’t hurt us if he’s kept happy.”

Alverson’s eyes were wide in his face as the men started pulled him up. There was a board sticking out right above him. “Is he a bloody mage?”

Dog shrugged. “Who knows, friend. I just know I wouldn’t want to get him mad at me.”

The board struck Alverson’s head so hard the wood cracked.

“Watch yourself.” Dog laughed. “You should mind your whereabouts more. You never know what danger’s lurking about.”

Dog watched with no little satisfaction as the dazed Alverson continued bumping hard against the ship as he was dragged up semi-conscious. He followed a few moments later, emerging on deck in time to see the man being led away by laughing crewmen and a scowling Isabela.

“I would not want to be that guy right now,” Varric said, casually resting his arms on the railing. 

Dog shook his head roughly, dispelling water everywhere, and looked around. “Where’s Cole?”

Varric nodded towards the stairs to the storage room. 

Down in storage Cole was shredding a piece of meat and feeding it both to a large rat and the ship’s mangy cat. Neither seemed happy near each other but they ate their own portions in tense acceptance. For reasons Dog didn’t want to understand the rat was wrapped in a tiny orange scarf.

“The Admiral won’t like you encouraging her cat out of eating rats,” Dog said, crossing his arms as he rested his bare back against the wall.

“There’s only one now. He was more clever than the others and now he’s alone.” Cole hovered his fingers over the rat’s head like he was going to pet it and then curled them up. His shoulders were hunched up in a tense way. “Can he come with us? He might like Kirkwall.”

“I got no problems with it. Better than the ugly cat.”

“She’s a good cat.” Cole did scratch the cat’s matted head. She purred loudly at the attention. “She doesn’t have to be pretty to be helpful.”

“True that.” Dog ran his eyes over the unhappy curve of Cole’s spine as he stood up, still facing the creatures on the ground in front of him.

“He shouldn’t have touched me,” Cole said finally. 

Dog crossed the room and wrapped his arms around Cole from behind. He set his chin on his broad shoulder and tightened his grip around his stomach. “He shouldn’t of.”

“He didn’t really want me. There was an angry hunger in him, pulling on him like a string.” Cole paused. “He thought that I was too simple to know how to stop him.”

Dog felt a black wave of fury swell up in him and he clamped it down savagely. That wouldn’t help now but he certainly was going to revisit it later when it might be useful. Right now he only cared about that hurt little inflection in Cole’s voice as he spoke.

“He won’t think that again,” Dog assured him.

Cole twisted around in his arms, setting his hands on Dog’s chest. He didn’t look up as he told him, “Kiss me, please.”

Arguing with such a request would be heartless and Dog was a big-hearted man. He kissed him, tenderly at first and then with a growing fervor as Cole slid his arms up around his neck and deepened the kiss. There was a heavy tension in the air as Cole pressed closer.

“You’re looking to break the rule,” Dog warned him, feeling the heat of Cole’s lean body against his bare skin like a promise.

“Pirates break rules. The Admiral said so.” Cole almost looked sly as he said this.

“She’s a wise woman, our Admiral.” Dog pulled the long scarf around Cole’s neck down as he kissed him again. He thought of Alverson pawing at Cole like it was his right and it made his fingers tighten into Cole’s hips before he forced himself to let him go, forced himself to fold that anger into growing desire. 

There was a long, thin scar on Cole’s temple under his hair. Dog pushed back his hair and spread his thumb slowly across the scar. “Did he touch you here?”

“No.” Cole glanced up, confused. 

Dog carefully pressed his lips to the scar, letting the kiss linger a moment before pulling slightly away. 

“What about here?” He pulled the scarf entirely away, marveling a moment at its length, and slid his finger lightly down Cole’s neck.

Understanding flooded Cole’s pale eyes. “No, not there.”

Dog gripped his hair and tilted his head back so he could bite at the soft skin on the side of his neck. Cole tasted like the salt from the sea air and something else, something that was always just him, flesh made from a Fade spirit’s idea of a man. As he continued nipping lightly at him he pressed his hand against where he knew a triangle of freckles were on his stomach. “Here then?”

“Oh,” Cole sighed under his ministrations. He put his hand on Dog’s broad back as though he was trying to push him lower.

“Gotta help me here, sweet.” He helped Cole pulled his shirt off before dropping to his knees and returning his hand to that little cluster of freckles off to the side on his upper abdomen. “Did that stupid prick touch you here?”

“No,” Cole said and then cried out when Dog bit into the pale skin, reddening it immediately before soothing the mark with his tongue. 

“Course not,” Dog murmured with satisfaction. “He don’t know how sensitive you are, right here.”

He sucked at the skin some more, feeling the muscle jump under his teeth and tongue. Cole was making soft noises that he knew would quickly grow louder if he continued.

“I learned all that, didn’t I? You’ve kept me at work learning you.” He licked his lips and set his palm on Cole’s leather-clad inner thigh. “Surely didn’t get his clumsy fingers here?”

Cole shook his head quickly and Dog grinned. “But it takes you apart when you’re touched here. How could he not know that?”

“Please,” Cole said and the plea made Dog’s head feel light. He pulled the leather down almost roughly and bit at the sensitive skin on the exposed thigh. Cole moaned, the sound almost pained, and leaned over him, clutching at Dog’s wet head with both hands.

Dog licked along the soft flesh, working towards the cock growing thick and pink beside his head. He briefly hoped that the creatures had fucked off before taking Cole’s erection in hand.

“What about this?” Dog asked and there was more seriousness in his voice with the question, a heat that he was unsure he’d be able to hold back much longer. “Did he get his dirty hand on your pretty prick?”

“No, no. Please!”

“Good,” Dog said thickly and stuffed his mouth and throat with cock.

Cole whimpered like a wounded animal as he sucked on him, drawing each unfiltered cry out with a little lick along a pulsing vein or with hard suction as he took him in and then released. Dog hoped with vicious intent that everybody could hear him, that the asshole would know how good Cole sounded when he was lost in ecstasy.

Dog gripped his firm ass hard as he continued licking at him, knowing that the moment was coming from how Cole’s cries grew close together and desperate.

“Nothing’s ever all mine,” Cole said, his voice dropping into a manufactured accent that Dog knew too well. “But this right here is mine, sweet. This ache, this release, all for me. Please!”

That last plea was said back in Cole’s own mannered accent and it was even hotter than hearing his own dark, possessive thoughts yanked out from where they’d been boiling in his head. Dog finally pulled himself out of his wet trousers and began stroking roughly along his hot erection. Dog wanted to do everything with Cole in that moment, from taking him over a box while he screamed to running away to a little home in the mountains where they could grow into old age together. He moaned around Cole’s cock at the thought, stunned that such domesticity could stir him as much as the thought of having his responsive body at his command.

“I only want to be yours,” Cole told him, voice catching on his gulping cries, and he came down Dog’s throat.

Dog held him up through his shuddering release and then hurriedly rose to his feet. He picked him up and set him down on a nearby surface, letting Cole settle on his back in a contented slump while he made a place for himself between his legs. He rutted against him almost frantically, his orgasm feeling so large in him that he was afraid. His cock was thick as he slid it against Cole’s hole. Dog knew he could slide right inside, with no warning and Cole would only wrap his arms around his shoulders in welcome. The enormity of his trust and the responsibility it demanded hit Dog like a sledgehammer and he came.

He fell against him and Cole took the weight easily, petting his wet hair. In the next moment Dog realized the picture they would make should anybody come down into the room, him with his massive frame pushing naked down against the man who had already been targeted by another unscrupulous pirate. Dog laughed. Isabela would castrate him.

“It’s easier if I’m a child to her. Or someone uncertain she has to guide. Isabela is afraid of the Fade, of all the tempting lies built into the temporary walls. She doesn’t want to think of me as a spirit because then I might be a trick, here to show her that she’ll betray what she loves for the right words.” Cole gave a contented sigh, stretching his long body under him. “I don’t mind. It helps right now. She was afraid when she thought Hawke would never come back and now that she has she’s afraid that she didn’t. They’re both different.”

“People change,” Dog murmured, certain that Isabela wouldn’t have appreciated Cole’s impromptu insights into her behavior coming straight to him. 

“Yes. I’ve changed.” Cole looked thoughtful. “At first being real felt like a weight on my back that could crush me into dust at any time. The fear of it would choke me at night when I never slept and I missed being a spirit because I didn’t have to be afraid for so long. But it’s better now. Friends help. Varric was right.”

“He generally is if you ask him.” Dog yawned lustily, enjoying Cole’s talkative post-coital cuddling. 

They reluctantly separated to get dressed, Dog wincing as he tried to pull the wet leather back on. Finally he gave up and searched around in the boxes until he found the expensive fur blankets he’d seen the other day when he’d been moving things around. He secured one around his waist and wrapped another larger one around his shoulders, gesturing Cole back into his arms. They clung together in a corner of the room behind some storage, close and warm.

“I like mountains,” Cole said sleepily. “Which ones would you want to live on?”

Dog chuckled at his most intimate and guarded desire being pulled out for casual pillow talk. He kissed the top of Cole’s head. “Whichever ones you want, rabbit. Except the ones on the bloody Storm Coast. I don’t care if you like them, I don’t want to be soaked for the rest of my life.”

“But you want to be with me for the rest of your life?”

He swallowed, staring down at that bright head. It was foolish to feel afraid to say yes when Cole had to know the answer already but the idea of that future seemed so massive and unreal that it didn’t seem possible to force it through his mouth.

Before he could say anything the door to the storage room swung open and Isabela descended, followed by a quick-talking Varric.

“I really think we should just give the kid some space right now, Rivaini,” Varric was protesting as they came into the room. They first saw Dog’s wet clothes on the floor and then Cole and Dog curled up together in the corner. “Well, shit. Good job covering your tracks there, Lucky.”

Isabela crossed her arms and gave them both penetrating looks. “Look at this cozy scene.”

“It’s only still a rule because Hawke left and you were angry. You broke it every day when she was your right hand because then you didn’t have to use your right hand,” Cole said quickly and then blinked. “That’s a dirty joke, isn’t it?”

“Maybe keep the sexy punchlines to yourself in these situations, Kid.” Varric rubbed his eyes. “Rivaini, don’t be too harsh on these two. They’re young and horny all the time. Surely you remember that.”

“I’m still young and horny all the time and I’ve still been behaving myself,” Isabela snapped. 

Dog stood up, wrapping the larger blanket around Cole like a fluffy shield. He really wished he was wearing pants for this conversation.

“Was my fault, Admiral. Didn’t like seeing some shit messing around with what’s mine.” He scratched his head, grinning the sheepish smile he’d perfected on angry parents over the years. “Wanted to stake my claim a bit, if you catch my meaning.”

Isabela’s face stayed stony for a moment before she snickered. “Stake your claim? Like with your dick? I get it.”

“Literally anyone would,” Varric muttered. 

Isabela’s laughter finally trailed off but she still looked amused. “You little scamps went behind my back and that's not acceptable. I do understand how hard it is to be locked on a ship with your lover for weeks on end, the waves swelling and breaking right under you night after night.”

“Rivaini?” Varric glanced up at her when she trailed off, looking out into the distance with distracted eyes.

She shook herself. “Right. I’m not a harsh woman. Lamb, you’re off rations for a week.”

“But I don’t have to eat,” Cole said, tilting his head curiously.

“Then you better hope that doesn’t change this week.” She pointed to Dog, who suddenly felt vulnerable in just a heavy blanket. “As for you. You’re a piss-poor sailor and I’ve got no time for it. I’m putting you in with Hawke for some proper lessons. She knows what she’s doing when she can be bothered.”

Dog blinked. That sounded fantastic. For a noble hero Hawke was one of the best thieves he’d ever met.

Isabela smiled slyly. “Also now that I know what a wicked boy Cole can be, he’ll stay in my room where I can keep my eye on him. We don’t want the two of you to be tempted.”

“But you only have one bed in your room,” Varric said suspiciously. 

Isabela put her hand on Cole’s shoulder and winked at the other men. “I’m sure we’ll be able to figure something out. Any problems with that, Mutt?”

“Not a one, Admiral,” Dog said after a fevered moment of imagining Cole curled up next to Isabela as the waves swelled and broke. “It’s your boat.”

“Damn straight it is.” Isabela turned and sauntered out, her hips swishing in satisfaction.


	10. In Which Kirkwall Is Clearly a Nightmare Factory and Aveline Is Nobody’s Fool

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm been super busy the last few weeks at work and one of the things that's kept me pumped up is imagining how boss Aveline would be in my place. Aveline is the wind beneath my wings.

“There she is, the City of Chains.” Varric waved his hand towards the approaching city and grimaced. “The nickname is pretty self-explanatory.”

Cole watched as they grew closer to Kirkwall, taking in the forbidding city with open curiosity. Kirkwall rested in labyrinthine patterns on top of a nest of jagged black cliffs. There were two enormous statues of weeping men with monstrous chains linking them and the different areas of the city together. The lowest part was twisted beyond all possible design and Cole wondered how people found their way around without getting hopelessly lost. The highest part of the city was laid out in a more reasonable design but it was still coiled and stacked all the way up to a high tower.

The city was unsettling to look at but Cole knew that appearances were poor indicators of the insides of things. He closed his eyes and stretched out his consciousness to the city, wanting to get a taste of its people’s hurts. 

All he heard in his head was screaming. Anguished and frightened howling permeating from every corner. Kirkwall itself was screaming, so loud he couldn’t hear any of the people inside of it. His eyes flew open in shock and he stumbled back a bit, bumping into a firm body.

“Quite a sight, Varric,” Dog said from behind him. Cole reached back blindly and grabbed his hand, pulling his mind from the wailing city and shoving it into Dog’s reassuring head. 

Dog was impressed by the city, although startled by its shape. He was pleased to be coming back to what he thought was a more proper city than Val Royeaux with its opulence and fine-mannered people. Dog squeezed his hand and thought briefly of when they’d helped attack a Tevinter slaver ship two weeks ago and he’d managed to steal a moment to kiss him over a broken body.

Cole concentrated on the memory of that kiss, the only one they’d shared in a long time. He wanted Dog to wrap his arms around him and kiss him again. He wouldn’t be able to hear the city echoing in his mind if Dog was finally touching him properly, away from Isabela’s frustrated protection.

“You should leave the ship at that cave we rescued those mages from. Aveline always sends patrols to that part of the Wounded Coast last,” Hawke was saying to Isabela as the two approached them at the railing.

“This isn’t my first time docking in Kirkwall, Hawke. I know what I’m doing.” Isabela sounded annoyed but when Cole left Dog’s mind to touch on the Admiral’s reassuringly solid thoughts she was actually just thinking of wrapping her legs around Hawke’s head as soon as everything was settled. 

“I’m just trying to protect my cut of the booty,” Hawke said blithely, thinking very hard about Isabela’s backside and how she might actually get to see it soon.

“I’m sure Aveline will give you a little bit of a head-start as a welcome home present,” Varric said but he was being sarcastic. He thought that the ship would be ransacked and catalogued by the City Guard before the week was up. He nudged Cole when he noticed him staring at him. “What do you think of Kirkwall, Kid?”

“The city is frightened and angry, blood and fire in every stone. It doesn’t want people in it and it never did.” Cole bit his lip to stop the words from pouring out. “But I’m sure it’s a very nice city.”

“You were right the first time, Kid.” Varric patted him on the shoulder.

“Poor lamb, this damned city is really no place for a sweet thing like you,” Isabela murmured in a cooing voice. She moved between Cole and his view of the city and began carefully straightening his voluminous scarf. She shot Dog a penetrating look over Cole’s shoulder. “I suppose you can go with Hawke into the city instead of unloading at the Wounded Coast. You’re too lazy to be much good there.”

“You’re kindness itself, Admiral,” Dog said and rubbed a circle into Cole’s palm with his thumb before letting go.

“Are we going there now?” Cole stared at the sharp rocks surrounding the city. He really just wanted Isabela to turn the ship around and sail back. He’d been enjoying being a pirate.

“You’ll take the merchant ship in.” Isabela nodded to the small vessel that they’d taken from other pirates halfway through the voyage. “The paperwork isn’t the best but I’m sure you two will be able to talk your way through it.”

Varric and Hawke grinned at each other. Hawke scratched her face. “I think I can come up with something.”

“Something believable, Hawke,” Isabela snapped. “Aveline is already going to be up my arse when I show up in a few days.”

“It’ll be completely plausible, Rivaini. Aveline will shake her head at us for a few weeks but I’m sure we’ll be fine,” Varric said but he was still convinced that they would be caught in a matter of hours.

The transfer to the merchant ship took only a few hours and way before Cole was ready they were sailing to the docks located in the part of the city that Varric called Lowtown.

“It’s where all the best business arrangements are made.” Varric pointed to large section near a long set of stairs. “That’s where the Qunari lived for years. I’m thinking of buying it up and putting in a larger market area.”

“Lady Elegant might work with you on that. She’s always looking to spend her husband’s money.” Hawke grinned.

“That’s where the Circle was. The Gallows,” Bethany said quietly as they passed a heavily fortified area near the docks. Even from the ship Cole could see odd statues all around, figures that looked like people doubled over in pain.

“That has to be the most haunted place in this whole city,” Hawke said. “And that’s including Darktown, which I’m pretty sure is all ghosts to begin with.”

Cole didn’t dare let his mind stretch out to see if Hawke was right. His head ached from the memory of the city’s howling.

“Now everybody put on your most convincing smile,” Varric said, slapping on a sardonic one of his own. 

Despite his words they passed through inspections quickly. The man at the docks knew Hawke by sight and spent so much time quizzing her on her adventures outside of Kirkwall that he barely glanced at their registry. In the end they only had to think up excuses to get away from his enthusiasm.

The moment Cole set foot in Lowtown there was a fierce pounding in his head and then suddenly nothing, his head clear and empty of even the echoes of the screaming. Cole stood frozen in place beside the ship’s plank, shivering despite the warmth of the day.

“You’re shaking, rabbit,” Dog murmured, shielding him a bit from their companions. He rubbed his arms and pulled him into a hug.

“It’s stopped now. Was it a plea or a warning?” Cole pressed his forehead into Dog’s chest and thought of nothing as hard as he could. 

“You guys ready to go? I thought we could get some food up at the Hanged Man before you settle in. The food is terrible but the drinks are worse.” Varric’s voice was light but he was watching them with worry in his eyes.

Cole pulled away suddenly. “Yes, I would like to eat terrible food and drinks.”

“You would?” Dog eyed him doubtfully.

“Yes,” Cole said. Perhaps he was finally hungry and it was making him not work properly. The mages sometimes had to drink little singing potions of lyrium to get their energy back. Maybe he would have to do that now too.

After he ate and slept he would try to hear the city again. Perhaps next time he would know what it was trying to say.

Cole wasn’t sure if the food really was terrible at the Hanged Man because he had so little to compare it to but he was pretty sure that he didn’t like it. He only managed a few bites before he pushed his plate over to Dog who gulped it down eagerly. Dog held up his mug to a pretty serving girl.

“Can I get another, Miss? My friend undersold your beer.” Dog wagged a finger at Varric in disapproval.

“I can’t help it if I have more refined tastes.” Varric downed his own glass and belched. “Pardon.”

“Refined tastes? That what you call it?” The serving girl rolled her eyes but refilled Dog’s mug. “You taking back your old room, Varric, or you actually going home this time?”

“It would break my heart to be apart from you now, Norah. I’ve been trapped in the mountains with an angry Seeker for months. I need your tender care here. And my friends here need a room. One of less infested ones.”

“Only if you tell me what the Herald of Andraste is like. And none of your exaggerations! I’ll know if you’re having me on this time.” Norah put on a stern face but laughed when Varric did. She ruffled his hair as she walked away. “It’s good to have you back, Varric.”

“It’s damn good to be back,” Varric said. 

Suddenly the doors to the tavern opened and red-headed woman walked in, dressed in heavy armor and wearing an actually convincing stern expression on her face. A tall man with sideburns and a mess of scarves wrapped around him followed close behind. Hawke shot to her feet.

“Aveline!” Hawke held out her hands but the woman came to a stop slightly before her. “And Donnic.”

“Hello, Hawke,” Donnic said casually, reaching out to shake her hand.

“Hawke. It’s good to see you, of course. You too, Varric. Bethany.” Aveline nodded to them all and then glanced at Cole and Dog. She appeared to be searching for someone.

“I can tell by your sour expression that you’re not completely happy with something but I’m sure it’s something a drink with your oldest and dearest friend will put to rights.” Hawke shoved a drink into Aveline’s hand.

“Where is she?” Aveline took the drink and set it on the table.

“Can’t imagine who you mean.” Hawke picked up the drink and started on it.

“You came here in Isabela’s ship. Where is she hiding it?” Aveline crossed her arms.

“We came on the Floating Fool. It’s my new ship and I hope you didn’t try to impound it, Aveline. I hate dealing with those guys.” Varric propped his feet up on the table and put his hands behind his head.

Aveline pressed her lips together in a thin line and counted off on her fingers. “That ship is registered to an Orlesian noble who was arrested for treason several months ago. Bethany was traveling with Isabela the last time they were here. And that boy is wearing a scarf that I gave that wench six months ago.”

She pointed to Cole with that last statement and he shrank into his chair.

“Maybe I’ve started knitting horrifying scarves using you as my example?” Hawke offered.

Aveline sighed and turned to Donnic. “Send an extra patrol to the Wounded Coast. Starting tomorrow.”

“Yes, Captain.” Donnic nodded, a little grin shadowing his face.

“You won’t find anything but bandits and dragonlings,” Hawke said. 

“If she’s stupid enough to have anything out in the open I’m going to arrest her this time. Kirkwall is not going to become a pirate destination just because we’re friends.” Aveline finally took the drink out of Hawke’s hand and poured it down her throat. She jutted her chin at Cole and Dog. “Stop being rude and introduce me to your new friends.”

“You’re from that book, aren’t you?” Dog blurted out, suddenly realizing why she looked so familiar. He’d gone to bed for months in Skyhold with that red-haired woman staring back at him.

Donnic laughed. “Which one?”

“My name is Aveline Hendyr. This is my husband Donnic. I’m the Guard Captain in Kirkwall and I don’t have time to read Varric’s so-called literature.” Aveline sat down across from Varric and took a chicken leg off of his plate. “But yes, I am from those ruddy books.”

“I’m Dog. And this is Cole.” Dog rubbed the back of Cole’s neck over his scarf. “He’s a big fan of your stories, aren’t you?”

“I know that they are not all true because Varric writes pretend with real people at the heart of them. But I do like them,” Cole said, lowering his face down into the scarf. “Are you really made of tempered steel and moral fire wrapped in naked loyalty and passionate strength?”

“Yes,” Donnic said fondly.

“Enough you,” Aveline said, blushing. “Varric likes to exaggerate things, Cole. You shouldn’t believe even half of what he says.”

“That’s not true. At least half of what I say is probably true sometimes.” Varric waved down Norah and they ordered more food and drinks.

A few hours later Cole was slumping comfortably against Dog as Aveline told them about a man who had been arrested earlier that day after he ran into the Keep naked.

“Completely nude! And he sold us our house too. Disgraceful.” Aveline tried to keep her voice disapproving but she was grinning at Bethany by the end of her story. When she smiled her eyes crinkled in a way that made Cole think that she was really filled with compassion instead of steel. He’d liked her already from Varric’s fondness for her but he’d quickly grown to like her on his own behalf.

Bethany yawned widely and Hawke clucked at her, standing up. “I think it’s probably time to turn in. Orana will be terrified at us coming in so late.”

“You should stay with us tonight, Hawke,” Aveline said. “That poor girl has been running herself ragged trying to manage your estate with Bodahn gone. She doesn’t need you scaring her half to death by showing up in the middle of the night.”

“Yes, Aveline, you’re probably right. We’ll stay with you tonight and you can read us one of your stories before you tuck us in.” Hawke smirked. “I like the one where you are overcome with forbidden desire for the puckish assassin.”

“You know, I still get people asking me to bring him back. He was pretty popular but I just thought he complicated the narrative.” Varric rubbed his chin.

“I didn’t even meet the elf,” Aveline said sharply, standing up. “Let’s go then. I have an early meeting tomorrow with the new viscount and you’re going with me, Hawke.”

“Joy of joys,” Hawke said and smiled at the rest of the table as she rose with Bethany and Donnic. “You three should come by my home tomorrow. I’m sure somebody will have asked me to do something by then. We might get to go collect plants or kill a giant.”

“Sounds like a plan to me.” Varric waved his mug at them as they left. He sighed contentedly and glanced at Cole. “What did you think of my friends, Kid?”

“They’re wonderful,” Cole said. “But that wasn’t all of them? You think of others with them most days.”

“Daisy’s out at Sundermount helping a Dalish clan settle in. Her clan stayed there for years so she knows all the best places to hunt and gather. Elf stuff.” Varric smiled. “Broody’s probably knee-deep in Tevinter slavers right now. He can’t get enough of ripping out their still-beating hearts. But he’ll come back when he hears Hawke is in town. We’ll get the whole band together in no time and then we’ll really have a party.” 

“Sounds good to me,” Dog said and downed the rest of his beer. He set it down with a satisfied grunt. “Now I think I want to get to bed before I fall asleep here.”

Varric chuckled. “Have a good night, you two.”

Cole got up and followed Dog to the end of the hall where Norah directed them to go. He was disappointed at Dog’s words, although he supposed it had been a long day and they could have sex any other time now that they were off the ship. Still he’d hoped.

Therefore he was surprised when they came into their room and Dog immediately pressed him up against the door, kissing him roughly. He kissed him back for a few dizzying seconds before pulling away long enough to ask, “I thought you were tired?”

“Was lying. Thought you’d know that. There’s nothing in my head that’s not this.” Dog grinned at him and then started pulling at their clothes, depositing them without care at their feet. 

Cole didn’t want to say that he was too afraid of the city’s pain to even peek outside of his own head. The lack of direction made him feel clumsy and uncertain as Dog pulled him naked against him, running his hands along his back in a possessive wave.

“Been such a long time,” Dog murmured and pressed his already hard cock against him. Cole made a noise at the feel of him. “Made myself crazy wanting you.”

Cole pulled on him with all his strength, tumbling them both down onto the bed. Dog tried to lift some of his weight up but Cole wouldn’t let him move away even a little. He needed to feel trapped by the heavy press of his body, needed to be surrounded by him physically if he couldn’t wrap himself up in his mind. Fear kept him in his flesh but it left him with a deep longing. He wanted to burrow himself inside that open lust on Dog’s face.

“Stay here, please,” Cole said as Dog tried to move away again.

Dog kissed him with a fierceness that he could almost feel without using his abilities. “Just want to grab some slick. Want to press inside nice and easy, sweet. Don’t you want that?”

“Stay,” Cole said again, barely hearing his words in his desire to keep him close. He pressed up as much as he could and Dog groaned.

“You’re killing me, sweet,” Dog said and pulled Cole up as he knelt up on the bed. He settled him in his lap, taking his mouth with growing desperation as he searched around him. By some miracle he found a bottle of oil by the bed.

“Thank the Maker.” Dog dropped Cole back down onto the bed, following him down by necessity as his long arms wouldn’t loosen around his shoulders. He slicked himself up blindly and Cole crooked his hips up so he could slide in. The first press made them both moan, low and thick, but the steady push in left Cole crying out, thankful that this felt the same despite how empty he felt inside his head.

“Oh,” Cole gasped and let Dog rise up to his knees, hooking his legs over his elbows. He was moving at a steady pace, sweat slipping down his tanned skin from the effort of moving so slow. Cole was so pleased that he recognized the strain without feeling it that he moved his hips to meet him faster. “Like this, quick and sharp, take without worry.”

“Yeah.” Dog grunted low in his throat. “Look at that.”

Cole looked up at his face but Dog was staring down at where he was thrusting inside, his sleepy eyes dark and intent. “That’s me in you, holding your pretty body open with my big prick. You let me in here.”

Dog dropped one of Cole’s legs to the bed and slid a finger up along his cock to where they were joined. He pressed around the stretched flesh of Cole’s hole and grinned when he whimpered. 

“Would you take more if I wanted, sweet?” Dog teased the sensitive skin. “Let me stretch you open even more?”

Cole couldn’t think, couldn’t imagine anything beyond what he was feeling in that moment, Dog moving inside of him, brushing against a part of him that made him cry out louder. “Yes, more!”

“That’s my sweet spirit.” Dog slid his finger into him alongside his cock and Cole wailed in shock at the sensation of being stretched further. It felt like too much and it was exactly what he wanted. He wanted Dog to invade every part of him until he couldn’t feel that desire to slip inside his head and never leave.

He felt a tightening all along his body and he finally remembered to wrap his hand around his own erection, pulling only for a moment before he came. Dog watched him spurt white and thick across his stomach.

Cole gasped when he stopped shaking at the feel of Dog still hard and thick inside of him, slowing to a stop. He stared up with questioning eyes.

“Nowhere near done with you tonight,” Dog warned, maneuvering him onto his side, pulling one of his legs up to his shoulder. He began thrusting in a rougher pace and Cole moaned weakly at the way it rubbed sensitized flesh. He began to lose himself in the feeling all over again.

Much later when they had wrung every last bit of desire out of their bodies and then some, Cole pressed his forehead to Dog’s sweat-slick shoulder and sighed.

“It felt different but it was still us,” Cole said with relief. 

He could feel Dog’s eyes staring into him and he glanced up, suddenly curious about something that had plagued him earlier in the night before pleasure had stripped the worry from his head. 

“If I ever tried to hurt you, if I became a monster again or tried to trick you like other demons, would you kill me?” 

Dog blinked, his sleepy look of fondness turning surprised. He thought for a long moment, stroking his hair. Finally he said, “No. Don’t think I could even if I could. You’ll have to turn to Hawke or Her Worship for that, rabbit.”

“Oh,” Cole said, feeling both disappointed and pleased. He didn’t know why.

Dog scratched at his head and said in a voice that sounded almost too casual. “Could never hurt you. I love you too much for that.”

Cole nodded against him, distracted. He knew that Dog loved him, it had been clear as anything in his head for months. What was more important was why the thought that his love made him so vulnerable to his inherent danger didn’t make Cole worry more.

Dog seemed to be waiting for something but finally he just chuckled. “Most folks have a reaction to hearing that, rabbit. How do you feel about me?”

“What?” Cole turned his attention back to him. “I love you more than there are dead underneath our feet wherever we go. It’s huge and consuming and it could devour us both in time.”

“Good to hear,” Dog said and held him closer. “Hate to think I was the only one.”


	11. In Which Cole and Dog Get Kicked Out of Another Tavern, Like, Fuck, Really

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BTW, where the fuck was my mabari hound in DAI, Bioware? I mean, thanks for the amazing game that I can't stop playing for the life of me and I'll adore for years to come, but I want a giant, stumpy dog that understands English and can probably kill a Red Templar by itself.

Dog woke to the sounds of the tavern bustling outside their door. He sat up, stretching sore muscles with a pleasurable groan. Last night had been a revelation, for more reasons than one. He almost wanted to thank Admiral Isabela for keeping them off of each other for so long. Beside him Cole made a soft noise and mumbled something, rolling over.

Cole talked frequently in his sleep, which Dog found adorable. He talked to dream people like he was having a regular conversation, for a certain definition of regular. He was still talking to dream people like Cole. 

“But where’s the real bottom to it?” Cole murmured, curling up more as Dog climbed out of bed.

“Get your answers, rabbit,” Dog said encouragingly, leaning over to kiss him lightly on the cheek. Cole’s forehead creased and he buried his face in his pillow.

“Love you,” Dog whispered, aware that he was grinning like a fool and not caring. The words came so easily that he wondered why he’d ever been afraid to say them before. He was caught and there was no escaping that.

He heard furious chittering on the ground and glanced down to see the large rat from the ship. It was sitting up on its haunches near Cole’s open bag, its little nose moving quickly. Dog was amazed that it had been so quiet for so long inside of the knapsack.

“Don’t start with me, friend. You’re lucky to be here.” Dog sneered at the rat until it crawled back inside the bag, still chittering.

Dog dressed hastily as his stomach rumbled. From all the noise outside their room he guessed it was late. He wasn’t surprised.

As he walked out he immediately ran into the serving girl from the other night. He fixed her with a lazy smile but she avoided his eyes.

“Morning, Miss,” Dog said, undeterred. Serving girls were always getting the business from pricks. He didn’t take her cold demeanor personally. “Wondered if my short friend were around?”

“Up in his study, serah. Sorry by the way.” Norah nodded up the hallway. She hurried away before he could thank her.

Dog raised his eyebrows but went up the hallway until he found an open room, covered with paper and books. A fire roared in the back of the room and Varric was busily writing on a parchment. He looked up when Dog came to the table he was sitting at and grinned.

“I was wondering when you’d get up.” Varric tore off a piece of bread from his plate and shoved it absently into his mouth as he continued writing.

Dog laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. “Had a late night of it. Sorry to keep you waiting.”

“Nah, I’m the one that’s sorry, Lucky. The tavern owner is kicking you out.” Varric grunted and pulled out another piece of paper to peruse and write on. “The guy’s a real asshole. I’ve been trying to buy this bar for years and he won’t give it up. I think he’s taking it out on you guys.”

“I’ll be sure to remember the fault it was when I’m living out in the alley.” Dog crossed his arms over his chest, disgruntled. He’d been kicked out of places quickly before but one night was a record even for him. 

“Don’t be dramatic. You can live with Hawke. She’s got more rooms than people she knows and she knows everybody. We’ll tell her tonight.” 

“That won’t be a surprise?” 

Varric waved his hand. “She won’t care. She’s put us all in there if she could. She’s been trying to get Daisy to move in with her since they met.”

“She lives up in the flash high parts? Near all the other gentry?” Dog rubbed his chin thoughtfully. 

“Hightown, yes. But don’t get any idea yet. Keep a low profile until we get Rivaini settled back in. I don’t want to see red handkerchiefs everywhere and find out that you’ve smuggled all of Lady Lacroix’s poodles into Hawke’s courtyard.”

“How many poodles does she have?” Dog asked innocently.

 

When Cole woke up he wasn’t sure for a moment if he was still sleeping. Always before when he woke up he slid immediately back into the reality of where and when he was, hearing the familiar sounds of his time and place humming through him. 

However this time his head felt cloudy and muddled. When he looked around he didn’t know where he was and for a moment he was convinced that he was still asleep. He looked around the windowless room with bleary eyes.

The chittering from the ship’s rat cut through the fog in his head and he reached over, lifting it into bed. It squirmed in his hand but seemed content once it was on the scratchy sheets. It poked its nose at his hand and sniffed for a few moments before losing interest.

“Where was I?” Cole asked it, although he didn’t think that the rat would know. He struggled to remember his dreams and got only the vaguest glimpses, white stone with dark spots and a bright green glow. He’d never forgotten his dreams before.

Maybe it was normal. Most people didn’t remember all of their dreams. Perhaps it was another disappointing part of becoming more like a person. He could ask Varric but dwarves didn’t dream and he didn’t think Dog would find it worrisome no matter what. He wasn’t properly afraid of him. 

He could ask Bethany. She was a mage and she was scared of him, scared of the memories of mages giving in so easily and so often, blood splattering the floor as often as water. She might be able to tell him if he should be concerned.

Plan in place he decided to try listening to the city once again. He pressed his back to the headboard and closed his eyes. Closing his eyes wasn’t really necessary but it felt right in the moment as he tried to stretch the loose thread of his existence out to mix with the songs of the city.

Nothing. He heard nothing, no matter how hard he listened. He could hear the people, their hurts and worries mingling together with a heavy acceptance of their reality. The people of Kirkwall were so sad and afraid all of the time that they thought it was how people were supposed to be. The only reprieve in their mind was excitement over their Champion returning and even that joy was tinged with dread. Hawke brought as much death and destruction into their lives as she saved them from.

However the city itself was silent as a tomb. The stones and dirt that had been howling at him from the shore was quiet as though nothing lived in them, no memory of their beginning and no premonition of their end. It was like the city was already dead. 

Cole opened his eyes and petted the fat back of the rat, right over where the scarf was bunched on it.

“Kirkwall is complicated,” he told it and the rat chittered in what was probably not agreement. 

 

“There you are,” Varric said broadly as Cole poked his head into his study. Cole looked uncertain as he peered into the room. Varric nodded to the plates in the middle of the table. “Want to try some of the terrible breakfast?”

“I don’t know,” Cole said, falling into a chair near Dog like his strings had been cut. He stared at a roll in front of him with distracted eyes.

Dog and Varric exchanged a look.

“You feeling right, rabbit?” Dog reached over and rubbed the top of Cole’s back. “Still tired from all the sailing and pirating?”

“Maybe,” Cole said but he sounded doubtful. He looked up at Varric. “Do you know very much about Kirkwall, Varric?”

“Everything worth knowing, Kid. Why?”

“There’s something wrong with it,” Cole told him, face cautious.

“Anybody here could tell you that.” Varric frowned as he sat back. He knew that Kirkwall had more than its fair share of ghosts and twisted magic. He hadn’t really thought about how that might affect Cole. “It’s got a terrible history. Those statues aren’t just a conversation starter.”

“Oh.” Cole suddenly reached out and grabbed the roll in front of him, tearing out little pieces and dropping them back onto the plate. “This might be normal for Kirkwall?”

“Probably. I don’t know what you’re feeling from it.”

“It’s too quiet now. It was so loud before we came and now it’s stopped.” Cole tried eating one of the tiny pieces of bread and made a face, pushing it over to Dog. 

“Hmmm, I know that the Veil is thin here. All that magister bullshit from back when the Imperium owned the city. You should ask Sunshine when you see her.” Varric paused and really thought about it. “Or maybe Daisy when she comes back.”

Merrill wouldn’t be afraid of what Cole was like Bethany and she was fascinated in a more detached way about the city’s blood-soaked history.

Varric leaned over. “Why don’t you try to forget about it for a little bit and when Daisy comes home you can sit her down and talk all about how scary Kirkwall is. She’ll love it.”

Cole nodded slightly. “I’ll do that, Varric.”

“Good.” Varric gestured towards all the papers on his table. “Now just let me finish catching up a bit here and we can at least go see some of the city before we meet up with Hawke.”

 

Varric took them through Lowtown with the seasoned pace of someone on their home turf. Frankly Dog didn’t know how he remembered where to go. The city twisted and turned in ways that made no sense at all, home built into structures that could never have been intended to be houses and roads that curved into nothing just as often as they connected to places that it seemed impossible for them to reach.

However Varric knew where everything was and apparently knew who everybody was. Getting through a tour of Lowtown took most of the afternoon because half the people on the street would stop when they saw Varric and talk to him.

“Yeah, Hawke’s back too,” Varric told one beautiful woman by the docks. “I’ll let her know you asked about her.”

“Wonderful. Later we can discuss your interesting business proposal.” The woman folded her hands together and ignored Dog and Cole with the ease of the nouveau riche.

“Sounds great, Lady Elegant.” Varric rolled his eyes at them as they walked away from the woman. “You want to know something scandalous about any of the gentry, that’s your woman. They haven’t invented a perversion that she hasn’t heard of someone having.”

They came near an awkward, winding staircase and Varric paused again. “That leads to the alienage. Probably not a great idea for us to go down there without Daisy or Hawke.”

“Every time she comes it’s bad. Shem heroes are worse than regular shems,” Cole said distractedly, eyeing a food stand nearby.

“Right.” Varric nodded. “And that’s pretty much the best of Lowtown. Let’s head up.”

“Hate to see the worst,” Dog muttered, dropping his hand down to Cole’s thin wrist to pull him away from where he’d begun having an awkward staring contest with the man running the food stand.

“The secret is that it’s not meat,” Cole said as he let himself be led up a long flight of stairs.

“Oh, I knew it!” Varric looked over his shoulder to the man. “Imported from Starkhaven my ass.”

Up the stairs they came to a large courtyard with a much more elaborate marketplace. Here the sellers also apparently knew Varric but they contented themselves with sedate nods. One man near the entrance ignored Varric completely despite the exaggerated wink he gave him as he walked by.

He led them more stairs until they arrived in a shaded market. Varric came to a stop and grinned widely. “Hey, there’s Hawke’s dog and her housekeeper.”

They looked to where an elf woman, thin even for an elf, was talking with a thick dwarf man. He was completely bald with an elaborate braided mustache and a wide face. At the elf’s side was a huge mabari hound, contently curled up at her legs. It raised its head when Varric came close and jumped to its feet, barking excitedly.

The elf turned around in surprise and gave them a small but sincere smile. She had a sharp, sallow face and a truly amazing shade of green eyeshadow over tired eyes.

“Master Varric,” the woman said in a soft, trembling voice. She dipped into an almost curtsy and glanced quickly back at the dwarf.

“Orana! It’s good to see you.” Varric nodded to Cole and Dog. “Guys, I want you to meet Hawke’s housekeeper Orana and His Lordship Duke. Orana, Duke, these are my friends Cole and Dog.”

Varric patted the dog on the head and Duke barked even more excitedly.

“Pleasures,” Dog said, taking Orana’s shaking hand briefly in his own. He was amused and oddly pleased to see Cole holding out his hand to Duke, who sniffed it eagerly before licking him.

“Hello,” Cole said to Duke and then again to Orana, avoiding her eyes as much as she was trying to avoid his.

“Is Hawke your mistress, friend?” Dog asked Duke and scratched his head when he barked an affirmative. Hawke had talked about her dog a few times on their journeys, mostly to bemoan not taking him with her. “She’s a good one, yeah?”

Duke barked again, wagging his stumpy tail. 

“You’re Emrys, aren’t you? The guy with the stupid brother and the crazy one?” Varric narrowed his eyes at the dwarf behind the stand.

“That would be me, messere,” Emrys said, rubbing the back of his neck and glancing at Orana. “I’ve taken over my father’s storefront here in Kirkwall. But I promise I’m done with the Deep Roads.”

Varric nodded. “Good, because nobody’s getting me back down there again anytime soon. I’m going to take the whole surface dwarf thing seriously from now on.”

“Me as well, messere.” Emrys wiped his forehead. “It was nice speaking with you, Miss Orana. I’ll let you get back to your business.”

“Oh, yes.” Orana blushed heavily, the red making an odd contrast with her eyes. “We were just heading back home. I’m so happy that Mistress is back. I’m going to make such a good dinner for you all tonight.”

“Don’t worry about it too much, Orana. You know Hawke will eat anything.”

Orana let out a little nervous laugh. “Master Varric, my mistress has wonderful taste in everything.”

“I’ll be sure to let Rivaini know that when she shows up,” Varric muttered but waved in a friendly way as Orana led Duke away.

“She’s a fretful thing,” Dog said curiously. Hawke didn’t seem the type to even have a servant so he doubted she was mistreating one but Orana reminded him of an abused kitten.

“She’s actually better now than she was when Broody killed her owner.” Varric gave Dog a pointed look. “She’s from the Imperium.”

“Ah.”

“She always loved his soup,” Cole mumbled, rubbing his temple. “My head hurts.”

“Let’s hurry up and finish this tour then. We’ve been walking around for hours.” Varric put his hand on Cole’s elbow and started leading him towards another set of stairs.

“This city’s all stairs,” Dog grumbled. 

“It’s good exercise, Lucky. Keep up.”

 

“Who’s a good dog?” Hawke was on her knees when they came through her door, enthusiastically scratching Duke’s sides and head. Nearby Aveline was peeling off her top layer of armor and setting it in a chair. 

Duke barked and licked her face with frantic abandon.

Hawke grinned up at Varric as they came into the main room. “I’ve already had three people ask me to nip up to the caves this week. What do you have?”

“Don’t ask, we’ll be here the rest of the night if I start. I’m never leaving home again. I can’t handle the paperwork when I come back. How was the new Viscount?”

“Kind of tall, nice beard. I think he was wearing the old Viscount’s pointy crown. I’m amazed they got it off his head.” Hawke stood up, stretching her back. She nodded to Cole and Dog. “How’s your first day in Kirkwall been? Attacked by any blood mages yet?”

“Day’s still young,” Dog said casually, eying Hawke’s valuables with professional curiosity. He wouldn’t actually steal from a friend, of course, but it was good to know what he could get if he did.

“Haven’t had a blood mage here for over a year now.” Aveline considered it. “Except for Merrill, of course.”

“The demon did want to come through but she still lied. She didn’t know what the end would be. She wanted to protect but it hurt more.” Cole had lowered himself to the ground and was patting Duke with awkward little taps. Duke brought it to a stop by setting his head down into Cole’s lap and making a low pleading noise. “I’m sorry, you like the space behind your ears better. I’ll remember.”

“He does that,” Varric told Aveline, who was staring at Cole curiously. “It’s a spirit thing.”

“More spirits?” Aveline frowned. “I thought we were done with all that.” 

“Well, I don’t think the Kid’s going to be blowing up any Chantries or writing long manifestos that I still find everywhere.” Varric gave Cole a brief sideways glance. “Right, Kid?”

Cole looked up. “I don’t think that I will. I’ll tell you if that changes and you can kill me before it happens.”

“That’s reassuring,” Aveline murmured.

“Where’s Sunshine hiding?” Varric asked Hawke.

“Believe it or not, she’s up at the Gallows, eating dinner with the new First Enchanter. She seems like a decent sort. Probably less likely to grow corpses all over at least.” Hawke smirked to Varric. 

“We can hope.” Varric scratched his head. “So when’s dinner?”

 

“This is the life,” Dog said, stretching out in the ludicrously large bathtub that was in the room Hawke had shoved them in. True to Varric’s word she’d been delighted to offer them a place in her house.

“It almost feels empty without Bodahn and Sandal running around,” she had said and shy Orana had nodded in agreement.

“He never knew when to walk away,” Cole said in a distant way, staring at a picture of a weasel-faced man on the wall. “None of the numbers ever come to him and all the money slid down before he could remember his sister. He regrets it now.”

“He looks the sort.” Dog slid one arm out of the warm water and reached out to Cole. “This is a big tub, sweet. Why don’t you get in and let me wash your back?”

Cole tore his eyes away from the picture with some difficulty and glanced over at Dog. He came over to the tub but instead of undressing he just got in, displacing much of the water as he went.

“Not strictly what I had in mind,” Dog said, helping Cole arrange himself in a more comfortable way on top of him. Cole was looking dazedly at his soaked sleeves, eyes pained. 

“Your head still hurting you?”

Cole nodded.

“Poor rabbit,” Dog murmured, pressing his lips to Cole’s forehead. He pulled away in surprise. “You’re burning up.”

Cole looked down at himself and then up again in confusion. “No, I’m not.”

Dog made a noise. “I meant you have a fever.”

“I don’t have fevers,” Cole told him firmly.

“Seems like you do now. Here we go.” Dog got up with no small amount of difficulty with a soggy, limp Cole in his arms and stepped out of the tub. “Let’s get you out of these.”

He began pulling at his wet shirt but Cole pulled away, shivering. 

“Do I have to have a fever? I don’t think that I like it.”

“Let me take care of you,” Dog said in the soft, soothing voice he used on frightened animals. He carefully pulled off Cole’s shirt and helped him out of the rest of his clothes. 

Naked Cole looked sicker, wet and pale and shaking. Dog dug out one of his shirts from a pack and slipped it over him. It was far too big but it had to be warmer than the threadbare clothes that Cole usually wore, even with it slipping down one of his shoulders.

“Into bed you get.” Dog led him over to the large bed and tucked him under the thick blankets.

Cole looked up at him with hollow, shadowed eyes and Dog wondered how he could have missed how sick he was getting. Granted Cole always looked a bit sick but now he looked positively deathly, the healthy flush he’d developed during their voyage turned to a feverish stain along his cheeks and neck while the rest of his skin had taken on a grayish hue. 

Dog turned away and Cole grabbed his arm, fingers claw-like in his flesh. “Where are you going?”

“Be just a moment. Want to see if Little Bethany is in. She’ll help sort you out. Why don’t you try to go to sleep?”

“I don’t know where I go when I’m asleep,” Cole told him so softly that he almost didn’t hear it.

“You’re not going anywhere. You’re right here with me.” Dog kissed his forehead again, astounded at how hot he’d gotten in what had to have been just a few hours. He was almost inhumanly warm.

Cole’s eyes were slipping shut but he still watched him through half-closed lids as Dog went to the door.

“She didn’t mean to lie. She wanted it to be the truth,” Cole murmured to him but Dog was already gone.


	12. In Which Cole Gets Lost and Merrill Isn’t Horribly Murdered, Please Don’t Worry

Dog went downstairs, following the sounds of laughing and conversation until he reached the kitchen. Inside Bethany, Hawke, and Varric were sitting around a cozy table and playing cards. Orana was restringing a beautiful lute by the fireplace while Duke dozed contentedly by her knee.

“She’s odd but knows almost everything about botany,” Bethany told Hawke as she shuffled the cards. She laughed. “I truly believe that they sent her here because she has so little interest in practicing magic. She said she only accepted the position because there are plants that only grow on Sundermount and she was tired of paying to have them sent to her.”

“See, much less likely to sprout corpses all over.” Hawke nudged Varric and then noticed Dog at the doorway. “Hey, you look like you want to lose some money.”

“Later.” Dog forced a quick smile and then nodded to Bethany. “Wondered if I might borrow the younger Lady Hawke for a moment upstairs? Cole’s feeling poorly.”

“How does a spirit get sick?” Bethany set a couple of her cards on the table, avoiding Dog’s eyes.

“What’s the matter with him?” Varric asked.

“Not sure.” Dog scratched the back of his neck, pushing down his worry as far as it would go. “Running a bad fever, head’s out of sorts, seems muddled.”

“More than usual?” Varric raised his eyebrow and set all of his cards down. “Why don’t you take a look at him, Sunshine? It would really make me feel better.”

Bethany sighed. “Of course.”

 

Cole was fast asleep by the time they got back upstairs, curled up tight under the blankets. He shivered when Bethany set her hand on his forehead. She drew it back quickly with a surprised gasp. Dog met her eyes over the bed and Bethany frowned, her hand clenching around her staff.

“How bad is it?” Varric asked, settling down into one of the plush chairs in the bedroom.

Bethany ignored him. “You said that he was acting confused?”

“Bit odd, yeah. He didn’t want to go to sleep.” Dog tucked a stray corner of the blanket up around Cole.

Bethany stared down at Cole for a moment, pursing her lips. She pried open his eyelids with hesitant fingers and looked for a moment.

“Sunshine?”

“I don’t know. People don’t get this hot. It should be boiling him from the inside out but he’s not having fits or vomiting or anything really.” Bethany looked at her staff. “I can try to cool him down a bit but I don’t know if it will actually help. If he was human, he’d be dead already.”

“But I’m sure he’ll be just fine,” Hawke said quickly, shooting Bethany a pointed look. 

“Right.” Bethany forced out an awkward smile and patted Dog on the arm. “Perhaps this is normal for spirits.”

 

Cole did not feel like he normally did. He was cold and hot somehow simultaneously, shivering as he wandered down a long corridor. He’d been walking through identical hallways for what seemed like hours, each white stone as perfectly like its neighbor as the next. The stones were smooth and cool to the touch, with a slight hum coming from them. 

Otherwise Cole couldn’t hear anything, either with his mind or his ears. He’d tried calling out when he’d first found himself in the corridors but no one had called back. Eventually he’d grown tired of the echo of his own voice reverberating through his aching head.

As he turned a corner a mark on one of the flawless stones caught his eye. It was a long, thin scratch etched into the white. He dipped his fingers against it and considered. After a moment he pulled out one of his daggers and carved another long line next to the original. When he pulled away to examine them he was somehow unsurprised that they looked exactly the same.

Cole sighed and sat down, sliding his back against the cool wall. It made him shiver and he wrapped his arms around his knees, pulling them up close to his chest. He didn’t want to be here.

“We’ve already been down this way,” an elven man said in an exasperated voice as he turned the corner, followed by two more robed elves. 

“Hello,” Cole said eagerly, standing up.

“How can you even tell anymore?” The man who said this looked thin, his robes torn and dirty. “It moves around us, I swear to it.”

Cole slid back down to the ground in disappointment as the men bickered with one another, not even glancing his way. He realized now that he must be dreaming, although it didn’t feel like any dream he’d ever had before. He wondered where he was in Kirkwall.

“We must keep going,” the first man said finally and the other two men grumbled but followed him as he started down another corridor.

After a moment Cole pulled himself back up off of the floor and went in the same direction.

 

“This is the spirit, First Enchanter Ines,” Bethany told the sour-faced older woman as they approached the bed. 

“More spirits. Bah! I used to think that only stuck-up mages had fancy spirits in them but it’s becoming the trend now.” Ines pulled one of Cole’s arms out from under the blanket and felt along his wrist. 

Dog raised one of his eyebrows at her from his position in a chair by the bed. He hadn’t moved most of the past couple of days although nothing about Cole had changed in that time. He’d been inhumanly warm and dry to the touch, mumbling infrequently to himself but otherwise sleeping deeply.

“He’s not possessing anyone, ma’am. He made the body for himself.” Bethany gently tucked Cole’s arm back under the covers when Ines let it go.

“And this is what he chose to look like?” Ines eyed Cole’s thin face for a moment and shrugged. “Takes all kinds, I suppose. Maker knows I’m no beauty but I didn’t make my face.”

Dog stood up abruptly. “Gonna go get some food.”

“Right,” Bethany said, giving him an apologetic half-smile before turning her attention back to Ines.

As Dog closed the door behind him he could hear heated whispering further down the hall. He wandered down quietly.

“Look, I’m not saying we should sneak him back into the city. I’m just saying that nobody knows more about spirits than he does,” Varric said to Hawke. Aveline was standing beside her, arms crossed over her chest and disapproval radiating from her like a wave.

“Yes, he’s certainly who we should be turning to for advice on sprits. You can’t be considering this, Hawke. Overlooking Isabela is one thing but you’d be asking me for too much.”

“You lot know somebody that can help?” Dog asked, somehow sneaking up on them despite taking up half of the small hall.

“Maybe,” Hawke said, mostly talking to Varric. “Let’s see what the First Enchanter can do and then decide.” 

Aveline shook her head in disgust. “You’d regret it, Hawke.”

“I’m pretty good at that.” Hawke grinned toothily. “And it’s been ages since I incited a riot.” 

 

“I know I heard something!” Florin said angrily, running his hands through grease-streaked hair. 

“It’s your imagination.” Malin tore a strip of his robe off and wrapped it around his bleeding foot.

“No, I heard something too,” Cole said although he knew the three brothers couldn’t hear him. He’d been following them for what had to have been days, watching with worried eyes as they grew more worn and hungry. He didn’t feel much better himself but he didn’t need to eat or rest like they did. 

“We’re going to die here,” Vallin said, staring at the white walls with hollow eyes. “We never should have gone through that door.”

Cole wanted them to talk more about the door but the brothers just fell silent with Vallin’s pronouncement. He sighed and wandered a bit up the hallway, careful not to lose sight of them. Florin had been right before when he’d said that the tunnels moved. The whole space shifted and distorted around them.

As he reached a corner he noticed that one of the stones had several sharp lines carved into it. He pulled out his dagger and added another one. The brothers had yet to notice his marks and he wondered if they could even see them or if they just existed in his mind.

“How long will you wander in my home like a lost child?” Cole came to a sharp stop as the loud, deep voice rolled around him like thunder. He glanced hurriedly back to the brothers but they were still sitting on the ground, staring at one another with growing fear.

“Hello?” Cole said hesitantly.

“Hello, little spirit,” the voice murmured, like a hand running up his spine. “Do you want to come inside? It’s been a long time since such a tender virtue has visited me.”

“Where am I? Am I still in Kirkwall?” Even though he’d been head-blind since he’d found himself in the tunnels, Cole desperately tried to feel what the presence was that was speaking to him. It had to be a spirit of some sort, of that he was fairly certain, but he didn’t know which one.

“Kirkwall? I’m not familiar with the name. You’re trespassing in my home.” The voice went sharp at the last bit but soon smoothed back into that low rumble. “But I’ll forgive you if you pay me a closer visit.”

“No,” Cole said, wrapping his hands around his daggers in sudden trepidation.

“So mistrustful. Here, let me show how kind I can be.”

“There’s a catch in this wall. I think it’s a secret room,” Malin exclaimed down the hall. He pushed in the wall and gasped.

Cole glanced around him but when the brothers went into the room he ran down the hallway. He got to the entrance just in time to see the last one go through what looked like a shimmering green door.

“You’ll come see me again, won’t you? I only want someone to show me a little compassion.” The voice laughed, intimate and close.

Swallowing hard Cole followed the brothers through the green door. 

 

Dog woke with a start, the long-winded manifesto he’d been reading to Cole falling to the floor. He’d found it tucked into a corner of the desk in their room but he really only understood every other word, which he didn’t think could be blamed on his poor literacy. The writer had a flowery style and was extremely angry even in print. 

He immediately looked at the bed and was startled to see that the lumpy space where Cole had been sleeping for days was empty. 

A splashing noise in front of him drew his attention to where Cole was sitting in the big bathtub, carefully rubbing water into his head. Cole noticed Dog staring at him and frowned slightly.

“I don’t know that I really like sitting in baths. I don’t think it’s as nice as you said.”

Dog jumped to his feet, trying to calm his rapidly beating heart as he went over to him. He stared at Cole blinking owlishly up at him from tub. The red flush that had taken over his face had gone, leaving behind his normal pale complexion. Dog leaned over and pressed his mouth to his forehead, feeling relief wash over him at the familiar cool flesh. Actually it was a little cooler than usual. Dog stuck his hand in the water and laughed, tension draining out of him with the sound.

“That’s because the water’s cold, rabbit. It’s a warm bath you want. Come here,” Dog helped Cole out of the bath and wrapped one of the blankets around him, gently rubbing him dry. “How do you feel? You gave us all a scare.”

“I’m sorry,” Cole murmured, leaning into him for warmth. Dog gave up trying to dry him off and just wrapped him arms around him. “Being sick is hard. I don’t want do it again.”

“Do you know what made you sick?” Dog rubbed his back in circles that were probably more soothing for him than for Cole.

Cole thought about it for a moment. “No.”

“Did you have bad dreams?” Dog had listened for Cole’s quiet conversations but he’d spoken so very little over the past few days.

“I don’t remember,” Cole said against Dog’s chest, rubbing his cheek into the soft cloth of his shirt. “Maybe I’m becoming more like a person and it made me sick.”

“Maybe,” Dog said doubtfully. “If that’s what’s the truth of it now, you’re gonna need to take better care of yourself. Regular eating, sleeping, all that.”

Cole made a face at eating but nodded into his chest. “Can you help me remember?”

Dog lifted his head up and kissed him softly. “Always.”

 

“My poor, sweet lamb,” Isabela cooed, holding Cole’s head to her chest and stroking his hair gently. “I was about to search every damn cave in the Free Marches for that mage for you.”

“Amazing how you’ve grown so attached to Cole when you’ve never met him before now,” Aveline said drily, dishing out some breakfast food onto her plate.

“Silly Aveline, I actually read the letters that Varric writes to me. I feel like we’re already such good friends.” Isabela gave Cole’s head one last loving stroke before setting herself down onto Hawke’s lap. “I’m thrilled that I happened to be coming to visit you when Varric and Hawke came home with their new friends.”

“You have perfect timing,” Hawke said brightly and Isabela kissed her. The kiss went on for a few beats longer than was appropriate for the breakfast table and Aveline grunted her disapproval. She nodded to Cole.

“Well, I’m glad in any event that you’re feeling better.”

“Thank you,” Cole murmured in a small voice, pushing around the food on his plate with a fork. “I thought that I was dying so I’m happy that I wasn’t.”

Dog snorted and gave him a pointed look until Cole reluctantly took a bite.

“Right,” Aveline said and looked back to where Isabela and Hawke were still kissing. “Honestly, wench, I’m trying to eat.”

 

Hawke was humming tunelessly as they wandered around the streets of Hightown, her hand brushing against Isabela’s side and Duke close at her heels as she greeted the vendors with a breezy nod. Dog was happy to be outside again, happy that Cole was staring at all the little booths like he wanted to tell the owners something life-altering.

They’d visited Varric at his brother’s old mansion and spent some time listening to him complain about Bartrand’s poor decorating skills.

“I’ll have to burn everything before I can even think of showing this place to people,” Varric had said and then gently patted Cole’s arm. “I’m glad to see you feeling better, Kid.”

“Don’t feel bad about bringing me here, Varric. The city is sharp, twisted, frightened and frightening, but I want to help it.”

“Good to hear, I guess.” He’d squeezed Cole’s elbow once and went back to throwing out Bartrand’s collection of ugly statues. 

After that Isabela had led them to talk to a smuggler for a bit while Hawke sheepishly kept watch. They passed by the Blooming Rose when they were done and Cole looked up at the sign for so long that Dog was almost the one that blushed.

“I’ve your share of the coin if you’d like a moment inside, lamb,” Isabela murmured coyly and Cole blinked at her.

“Do you need money to go inside?”

“Of course. That’s just good business. If they let everyone inside without exchanging some coin, what would be the point of it?” Isabela was smirking so much that even Hawke had rolled her eyes.

“Save your coin, sweet. They’ve nothing you can’t get for free,” Dog finally said and Isabela laughed.

Later they found themselves in an opulent courtyard and Hawke pulled lunch out of a basket. They settled around her like children, some with more eagerness than others at the smell of the fresh food.

“You know better than that,” Hawke told Duke as he tried to shove his face into the basket. He whined at her until she pulled out a thick slab of meat and tossed it to him. “Orana has spoiled you.”

“I feel spoiled. I certainly don’t eat this good on my ship.” Isabela spread her legs out in front of her, pressing them together slowly when she saw that Hawke was looking.

“She’s a treasure for sure,” Dog agreed, biting into his sandwich with relish. Beside him Cole nibbled at an apple as slowly as he could.

Nearby a young couple spread out their own lunch in the courtyard after sparing the group only the barest of disdainful glances as they sat.

“Such a fuss out of the alienage, my love. It’s disgraceful,” the taller woman told the other with a sniff. 

“I shiver each time I think of you down there, dove. You’re so brave.”

“Only when I think of you, sweetest one. They carried on forever and it took them over an hour to move the body.”

“It must happen so frequently, darling. How can they keep up with it?” The smaller woman leaned forward and whispered in a conspiratorial voice that still carried throughout the courtyard. “I heard that the woman knew the Champion.”

Hawke and Isabela shot to their feet. Dog and Cole got up to follow them but Hawke reached the couple before they could catch up.

“What was the woman’s name?” Hawke asked the smaller woman, her eyes fierce.

The woman’s eyes widened in recognition and she swallowed. “I don’t know.”

Hawke turned to the taller woman. “What did she look like?”

“Like an elf, Lady Hawke.” The woman shrugged helplessly. “Small, thin. Oh, she had those face markings that some of them have!”

“Useless sow,” Isabela hissed behind her as they hurried out of the courtyard. She glanced over at Hawke as they raced down to Lowtown. Dog and Cole followed at a distance behind. “It’s not her, Hawke.”

“Of course not,” Hawke said with a clenched jaw. “Nothing terrible ever happens to my friends.”

As they reached the alienage they saw a crowd gathered near a great tree. Merrill was watching the crowd near her home and waved to Hawke when she saw her. Hawke rushed over to her and pulled her into a fierce hug, causing Merrill to chuckle awkwardly.

“Oh, I’m happy to see you too, Hawke. But I can’t breathe.”

“You don’t need to breathe, Merrill, you were horribly murdered this morning,” Hawke muttered, giving her one last hug before letting her go.

Merrill’s large eyes welled up with tears. “It’s so terrible. I just finished unpacking when they found the body.”

“Who was it? This horrible woman said Hawke knew her.” Isabela pulled Merrill into a briefer but still relieved hug.

“Yes.” Merrill nodded, rubbing her eyes. “It was Arianni. She came back with me last night. I don’t know how I’ll tell Feynriel.”

“I’ll tell him,” Hawke said firmly. “I’ve gotten really good at telling people devastating news. You’re going to be too busy unpacking back at my home to write letters.”

“Hawke, there’s no need for that. I’m perfectly safe here.”

“Of course there’s need. I’ve got houseguests right now and I’m too busy to be a good host for them.” Hawke easily found Dog, Cole, and Duke examining the side of the tree where the bloodstains were drying against the wood. Some of the elves in the crowd were staring at them with open hostility. She whistled at them. “Boys, I want you to meet Merrill.”

They came over, Cole still glancing back at the tree with curious eyes. 

“Merrill, this is Dog. As you can see, he’s gigantic.” Dog took Merrill’s small hand in his own for a moment and smiled down at her.

“Miss.” He looked caught a moment when she fixed her huge, tear-filled eyes on him.

“And this is Cole. He’s a Fade spirit that made a body out of a dead mage’s sadness or something. I’m sorry, Cole, I still don’t really understand.” Hawke shook her head at him. “But I’m sure the two of you will have a lot to talk about.”

“You’re a spirit but you’re not possessing a body?” Merrill looked absolutely intrigued, her sad eyes brightening in her curiosity.

“I’m sorry about your friend,” Cole told her shyly, his hand limp around hers. “She wasn’t really upset with you. She just didn’t think she’d ever come back here.”

“Oh,” Merrill said, her eyes welling up with tears once again.

Cole looked devastated. “That didn’t help. It made the hole bigger. I’m sorry.”

“Well, let’s get you packed, kitten.” Isabela wrapped her arm around Merrill’s shoulders and led her away.

“We need to work on your people skills.” Hawke patted Cole on the back.


	13. In Which Dog Almost Breaks His Back and Fenris Does Something Nice Even Though He Doesn’t Like It

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whenever I play female Hawke (which is 90% of the time) I romance Isabela and whenever I play male Hawke I romance Fenris. The fact that I can't shove all three together into a polyamorous cuddle puddle is the biggest failing of Dragon Age II.

“I can’t leave the Eluvian here, Hawke. People might try things with it. Like break it or maybe paint unflattering pictures on it so it looks like people have mustaches when they use it.”

“That would be the first impulse, that,” Dog said as he glanced up the long lines of the dark-framed mirror. He had his misgivings about the mirror and not because it was clearly magical and dangerous. It looked heavy and he knew he was the going to be the one that carried it up all those stairs back to Hightown.

“So we’ll bring it. I can always use more mirrors,” Hawke said distractedly, glaring at the mirror as though it was back-talking her. “You guys get all this figured out. I’m going to go talk to the guards about the murder.”

“You’re such a good delegator, my love. This is why you’re a wonderful first-mate.” Isabela tapped her cheek pointedly and Hawke kissed her. 

After Hawke left the group looked around the room for a few moments. Dog squared his shoulders in resignation. “You bringing the table, Miss?”

“Please, call me Merrill. And I don’t know. Should I, you think? It’s a nice table. But Hawke has tables.” Merrill stared at her meager belongings with growing trepidation.

“Yes, Hawke had plenty of tables. We’re leaving the table if we’re taking the mirror.” Isabela had put on her commanding Admiral voice. She glanced over at Cole and her voice softened briefly. “You mustn’t try to lift anything, lamb. You still need your rest.”

Cole nodded obediently, his pale face a bit more wan than usual from the day’s exertions. Dog agreed and he would have said the same thing himself but it still rankled a bit coming first from Isabela. Plus he highly doubted that the Admiral would lend a hand and one of his legs probably weighed more than Merrill. So he definitely was going to be the one to drag that ominous, heavy mirror up a billion flights of stairs.

“Maybe we should go fetch Varric for help?” Dog ventured.

“He’s too busy,” Isabela said dismissively as she began gathering up the little trinkets around the room.

In the end Merrill took very little from the home she’d been living in for years. 

“I suppose the next person that moves in could use the rest. That would be nice, wouldn’t it?” Merrill laughed uncertainly.

“Yes,” Cole said immediately, his first word in hours. Merrill beamed at him and he ducked his head under his hat.

“That’s settled then.” Isabela wiped her forehead, which Dog felt was a little unnecessary since she really hadn’t done much of anything except delegate. “If we leave now we’ll be home just in time for a nice supper. So cozy and domestic.”

Isabela sighed then, the sound a little frustrated, but she smiled broadly when the group looked at her. “I said head out, didn’t I, boys?”

“Aye-aye, Admiral,” Cole and Dog said, one with more genuine enthusiasm than the other.

 

Dog had been right. The mirror was extremely heavy. And Isabela didn’t lend a hand to help. Merrill had tried and he would have shooed her away but the Admiral got to it first.

“What else is a big, strapping boy like that good for, Merrill? Moving and sex is really all.” Isabela talked to Merrill like she was imparting important life advice. Merrill blushed and gave Dog an apologetic smile that reinvigorated him more than help. 

“It’s very heavy,” Cole said quietly at his side as they approached the first set of stairs. “Worlds inside of worlds are under the surface. It contains the universe.”

“Yes,” Merrill said, coming to stop in her eagerness. “That’s exactly what an Eluvian is! They have them in the Fade, don’t they? Did you ever use one yourself?”

“I don’t remember,” Cole murmured, scratching the back of his neck. “I had to forget myself to fit in this skin and it didn’t come back all the way.”

“That’s so fascinating.” Merrill drew close to his side like an excited bee around a flower and Isabela grinned at Dog triumphantly. He rolled his eyes at her. 

Dog stopped at the foot of the stairs, contemplating the walk up. Before he could start a tall elf with shocking white hair appeared at the top of the stairs. 

“Fenris! What good timing,” Isabela said, slapping a lascivious smile on her face so quickly that Dog was surprised it didn’t give her whiplash.

Fenris peered down at them all. He had a serious face, handsome even with his brow furrowed in clear irritation. “I arrived a few hours ago and heard that a Dalish elf was murdered in the alienage.”

Merrill clapped her hands together. “Were you worried for me, Fenris?”

“No,” Fenris muttered.

“Yes,” Cole said, his eyes wide with surprise over the lie.

“No,” Fenris said more firmly, giving Cole a suspicious glare. “I simply knew that Hawke would be in the thick of it, whoever was murdered.” 

“Yes, she abandoned us for Aveline to discuss the murder. It was Arianni.” Isabela’s flirtatious smirk faded for a moment.

Fenris nodded. “I’m sure she had enemies after her mage son fled to Tevinter.”

“Feynriel didn’t flee.” Merrill’s frown was impressively devastating, like someone had punched a round kitten in the face. “And people liked Arianni. She was kind to everyone.”

Dog grunted and decided to put a hold on this conversation before Merrill could look any sadder. He nodded up to Fenris and grinned sharply. “We haven’t met yet, friend. My name is Dog and that’s my Cole and you look like you could help me carry this mirror before my back breaks.”

Fenris stared at Dog with narrowed eyes until Isabela spoke, “Wonderful idea. We’re moving Merrill into Hawke’s house and we could use another sinewy pair of arms helping out. Stretching and flexing and straining.”

Isabela trailed off a bit, eyes fixed on some distant point in her mind. Fenris rolled his eyes and stomped down the stairs. “You’d be better served throwing it into the sea, Merrill.”

“They already have one,” Cole said earnestly.

“Who does?” Merrill practically burrowed into Cole’s side in her excitement. “There’s an Eluvian in the ocean? Who uses it?”

Fenris made a disgusted noise and grabbed one end of the mirror. “Let’s do this then so I don’t have to keep listening to all of this mage prattle.”

“I’m not a mage. I couldn’t be because he didn’t want it in him,” Cole said.

“He’s a spirit that knit together his own flesh and blood,” Merrill told Fenris with obvious delight.

“What?” Fenris dropped his end of the mirror and Merrill gasped.

“Oh, we should have worked up to that.” Isabela sighed.

 

It took them some time before Isabela could convince Fenris to pick up his end of the mirror once again. Even after that he still gave Cole little mistrustful looks from time to time as they trudged up the stairs. Dog was pretty sure he didn’t like a stranger giving his lover the evil eye but he’d keep his mouth shut until he had reason to open it. The good-looking elf was one of Hawke’s closest friends and she had warned them that he was a prickly person.

“Really fun to drink with though,” she’d said on the ship while she’d downed another bottle of the Pearl’s strongest ale.

So Dog wasn’t going to make waves, especially as Fenris was the only one helping him carry the damned mirror up through the winding paths of Lowtown, through the lavish marketplaces in Hightown, and finally up more stairs to Hawke’s manor.

Orana fluttered her hands in surprise when they came in but she quickly grew pleased when she heard that Merrill was moving in.

“Oh, I’m so happy, Mistress Merrill. I worried for you in that place. Let me help carry your things.”

She’d actually reached out towards the mirror and Dog laughed. 

“That won’t be necessary, Orana,” Fenris said in a stiff but surprisingly kind voice. “Just tell us where this should go.”

“Oh!” Orana looked around the room, her nervousness back in full force. “I’m not sure where my lady will want to put you.”

“Put her in Mother’s old room,” Hawke said from behind them. Her back was tense as she removed her daggers but she smirked at Fenris. “Look who got tired of killing slavers.”

“Never. I merely thought that it would be only a matter of time before you needed me again.”

“Always. Always, always.” Hawke sounded distant as she glanced around the room, taking in the group with fierce eyes. They finally landed on Orana. “Where’s Bethany?”

“Mistress Bethany wanted to supper with the First Enchanter tonight, my lady.” 

“And Varric’s back up at the Hanged Man. Right.” Hawke sniffed slightly and became more animated. “Looks like we’re the party tonight, friends. More booze for us, right?”

This was said to Fenris, who tilted his head and smiled very slightly. “It appears so.”

 

Hours later Isabela stumbled her way upstairs to Hawke’s room. She never thought of it as her room even though she’d given up sleeping at the Hanged Man even when she came to Kirkwall without Hawke. 

She draped herself sensuously in the doorway and peered into the room with hooded eyes. “Permission to come aboard?”

“Granted,” Hawke said in a thick voice. Isabela frowned at the sight of her. Hawke was sprawled out on her bed with Duke held on top of her like he was a toddler instead of a dog that weighed more than she did. Her arms were wrapped tightly around his back as she stared up to the ceiling.

Isabela shut the door behind her and slowly made her way to the bed. “Tell me, treasure, why did you insist on walking Fenris back to his mansion? Are you having a torrid affair with him and not telling me all of the lovely details?”

“I just wanted to make sure he got home okay. He drank half of my stock.” Hawke’s words were flippant but she was still staring at the ceiling with glassy eyes. Duke whined against her chin and she tightened her grip around him. “He should have just stayed the night.”

“Such a delicious thought.” Isabela sighed at the very idea but Hawke didn’t even smile. She switched tactics. “What did our Big Girl have to say about the murder?”

“It’s the third one in the past two months. All elves. One male and now two females.” Hawke paused. “Arianni’s hands were missing.”

“Hawke.” Isabela sank onto the bed. Hawke finally loosened her hold on Duke who gave her a last conciliatory lick on the face before moving away. 

Hawke turned onto her side and put her head on Isabela’s lap, who began stroking her hair lightly. Hawke finally spoke in a rough voice, “How hard do you think it’d be to get Aveline to leave the city?”

“Well, the last time she was on my ship she staged a mutiny and named herself captain.”

“Captain Aveline was a fair but forceful leader. I would follow her into death,” Hawke murmured.

“So she absolutely must stay here. And I don’t think you’ll be able to pry Varric’s arse back out anytime soon.”

“Right.” Hawke let Isabela stroke her hair for a few more moments. “Why don’t you take Merrill and Fenris out to Antiva? You love Antiva this time of the year and Merrill’s never been.”

“That would be fun. Fenris on a beach, all wet and broody under the hot sun.” Isabela practically purred with pleasure. “But I’m not leaving. You clearly need me here. You’re hopeless in this city without me.”

“I missed you, Bela,” Hawke said, reaching up to grip Isabela’s knee. “I’m sorry I almost let a giant monster spider eat me in the Fade.”

“Well, I may have taken your sister to a little pirate orgy in Denerim. We’ve both made mistakes.”

“I knew it!” Hawke gasped and tackled Isabela to the bed. 

 

“Now isn’t this every bit the niceness I promised?” Dog murmured and Cole shifted sleepily against him in the large, steaming bathtub.

“I’m tired but you said I slept for such a long time.” Cole yawned, closing his eyes as he rested his head on Dog’s shoulder.

“Sick sleep don’t all count. You need more just to get to the same.”

“She slept all the time but she never got to the same.” Cole’s eyes had opened half-mast, faraway and clouded.

“Shhh.” Dog pressed his mouth to the wet gold of Cole’s hair. His words pulled at the part of him that still ached fresh even after almost a decade. “None of that now. Let’s spend time with nice thoughts.”

“But it’s all in your head, towering and terrible.” Cole grew more alert in his growing distress, moving against him. “She said she would get better but she lied.”

Dog sighed. “Seeing you like that stirred up some things, that’s truth. But don’t want you worrying over it. You’re better and that’s the real thought in my head. Yeah, rabbit?”

“Yes,” Cole relented, very quietly. His eyes slid shut again and his breathing began to slow.

“Let’s get you into bed,” Dog said and Cole opened his eyes, gripping his shoulder.

“I don’t want to go to sleep yet,” he said, turning a hopeful face up to him. Dog knew that pretty look.

“Need a little more tiring out?” Dog spread his hands down the long, wet expanse of Cole’s back. “My work’s never done.”

 

Cole was in a long hallway, surrounded on all sides by smooth white stone. It all felt familiar somehow although he didn’t think he’d ever seen the hallway before and he couldn’t quite remember how he’d come to it. He mentally reviewed the day as he wandered down the hallway.

He’d spent the day with Hawke and the Admiral and Dog and Duke and it’d been very nice except when they’d heard about that woman being murdered. That had been terrible, tearing through Hawke’s mind along the wounds that never had a chance to heal.

But then they’d met Merrill, which was very, very nice, and Fenris, which was fine. He didn’t like Cole but that was because he hated magic so much. Cole understood that. He would try not to bother him even though his skin sang like a powerful mage’s spells and it made Cole want to touch the white lines on his body. They would glow, he knew, and fill him up to full. 

Then they’d had that little party and Hawke had drowned out the old screams in her head with alcohol and sharp remarks. Merrill had asked him lots of questions until she’d collapsed into a sleepy lump in a chair, face red-bright from alcohol. Fenris had grumbled but had carried her upstairs to her new room. He hadn’t really minded as much as he said. It was sometimes hard for him to always remember to be angry at her. 

Cole had tried a tiny bit of a sweet wine that Orana made and she’d smiled wide when he said he’d liked it. He hadn’t really that much because it made his head float but Varric said that it was okay to lie a little if it made people happier.

Then they’d all gone to their rooms. Hawke insisted on taking Fenris home after he laughed at her suggestive suggestion to stay. She’d been more upset at his refusal than her bright smirk had revealed. Hightown was safer than Lowtown but the whole city was a trap. 

Dog had prepared another clear, warm bath and this time Cole had enjoyed it. He didn’t know why it should make a difference if it was warm or cold, the water didn’t know it was different either way, but he had liked it more. He’d tried to help fill in the hole left by the death of Dog’s mother but he hadn’t wanted to touch it then. So instead they’d had sex, sweet and soft and soothing, and he’d climbed under the thick covers to sleep.

He was asleep. Cole stopped in the hallway at the revelation. He touched the wall beside him in wonder and noticed a series of thin lines carved into the stone. Without thinking he pulled out one of his daggers and carved another alongside them.

“So you have come back,” a voice said suddenly, surrounding him on all sides like a thick cloud. “But I can’t see you as well. Ah, the spirit is less willing when the flesh is not weak.”

“Hello. My name is Cole.” Cole stood very still in the hallway and tried to feel the center of the presence around him. He couldn’t feel anything. “Who are you?”

“Such pretty manners. Not like the others.” The voice seemed to press into him for a moment, heavy and caressing. “I don’t think I have a name anymore. The others said that I was Forgotten.”

“What others?” Cole sank down into a comfortable position on the floor and looked up. It felt natural even though the voice—the Forgotten—came from every direction. “Where are we?”

“They are no matter, little spirit. Dull, ephemeral creatures. Not like you and me.” The Forgotten paused a moment. “You are in my home. Those are my walls you’ve been leaving your mark on.”

“I’m sorry,” Cole said in sudden contrition. “I didn’t know.”

The statement made him realize something. “I’ve been here before but I don’t remember. Why?”

“Perhaps you don’t know me well enough yet. Come closer and maybe I will stick better in your tender mind.” The white hallway suddenly spread out, smoothing away the twists and turns to go in one direction. 

Cole looked down the seemingly endless hallway and hesitated. “I don’t think that I should.”

“If you please,” the Forgotten didn’t sound upset, its measured tones sliding against him for a brief, intimate moment. The hallways immediately twisted back up into unseen patterns. “I only want you to feel comfortable, of course.”

“I think that I should wake up now,” Cole said and wondered how he could. Always before it had happened naturally.

“As you wish,” the Forgotten said and the wall next to him opened immediately. “You will visit me again though. I want us to become such good friends.”

Cole nodded because he didn’t want to be rude and deep down he wasn’t sure he had a choice. He got up off of the ground and went through a glowing green door through the wall.


	14. In Which Dog Meets a New Old Friend and There Are Really Way Too Many Cats

Dog stared out the window of their room to the magnificent view of Hightown below, its finery on full display this early in the morning. Behind him Cole was murmuring softly in his sleep, asking curious questions that he’d already asked on other nights. The repetition worried Dog but he didn’t know what normal sleep behavior for a spirit was. If there was such a thing. He tried not to think about it.

He could practically see his old teacher shaking her head at him for his lack of curiosity.

“You lack imagination, my sweet Robert,” Fidela had said to him their first lesson. His aunt had agreed to let her friend teach her surly nephew very soon after he’d arrived on her doorstep, a ragged boy with a scarred, cringing dog always at his heels.

“It is no surprise though since you are not so terribly gifted with intelligence.” Fidela had smiled a warm, broad smile as she shrugged. “And your temper is shocking.”

She’d shivered as though she were afraid of his explosive temper, still smiling. Lady had whined at him from the floor and he’d set his already large hand on her head until she calmed. She’d come with him so easily when he’d fled his lord’s house but it was clear she found Antiva confusing after a life spent pacing the same small space.

“Don’t care,” he’d said tightly, stressing his Fereldan accent on the words. His aunt was horrified by what she called his gutter tongue and wanted Fidela more than anything to turn him into something resembling a proper Antivan man. 

“Ah, but you must care, little pup. You are brutish and unlikely to blend into any crowd. And eyes on you will be attached to mouths that can describe you. Do you wish for your sad dog to be returned to its rightful owner?”

“No,” he’d muttered slowly as Lady forced her head back under his hand in her distress. Lady should have been a great wardog but she was too nervous and gentle for his lord’s tastes. He hadn’t had the patience to teach her properly and had given up almost immediately, locking her away and forgetting about her.

“Wonderful,” Fidela said in her rich, rolling voice. “There is little we can do for your limited intelligence, so sad but true. However I think we might learn to control that temper. People only know what you show them about you. We must learn to show only the faces we want them to remember.”

He’d likely been a bad student, slow to learn and even slower to remember. However Fidela had patiently taught him rough but charming manners, taught him to smile when he wanted to snarl, and when he’d grown older, large and uncomfortable in his massive limbs, she’d taught him how to pull pleasure from a person. It was safe to say that he had worshipped her and would have curled up at her feet every night if she’d asked it of him. 

When she’d first introduced him to the concept of the Friends of Red Jenny, he’d been overjoyed. Every noble life he disrupted felt like a benediction. He’d blossomed in the chaos and his Lady had flowered as well, growing eager and bold with every successful caper.

The day Lady had been killed was still half a blur in his mind. The men had come from his Orlesian lord, drawn by rumors of his deeds. She’d gone down hard and he’d gone temporarily mad. He still didn’t remember how many he’d killed or how he’d gotten away alive, covered in blood and finally sobbing. 

He’d returned to Fidela and she’d comforted him in her own extravagant way. However he’d realized for the first time how little his emotions meant to her. She’d acted as though Lady’s death was a temporary pain, one that he would forget if she praised his escape enough. He’d left her home and her bed, still following her leads on nobility but no longer returning to her after for her unique form of reward. 

Then of course he’d been attacked and left for dead in the snow and later discovered that she’d been using him the entire time to send secret messages between the Crows and wealthy clients. If Cole hadn’t found him he would have died in ignorance, every bit as stupid as she’d always said he was.

But Cole had found him, wide-eyed and hesitant over him as the snow tried to bury him half-alive. He owed him so much that he would never be able to repay.

Dog continued staring out the window, lost in his thoughts as Cole murmured behind him. He knew that he wasn’t good at much besides fighting, stealing, and fucking but he wanted to help in some way. He was tired of lazing around and letting others lead him from place to place. He wanted to be a better man.

Dog grinned, sharp and secret at his reflection in the window pane. Or at least he wanted to be a mostly better man. There was no sense in asking the Maker for too big of a miracle.

 

“I’m going to be with Aveline all day so I can’t play with you guys in Darktown.” Hawke scratched her cheek in a distracted way as she looked over a long scroll. 

Isabela pouted at her over the breakfast table. “Why are you always picking dear Aveline over us? Do you like her better?”

“A little,” Hawke said and then looked up from her paper, grinning. “Aveline is like an older sister to me.”

“Yes, she is controlling and bossy,” Bethany muttered. 

Hawke waggled her finger at her. “You’ve been out at the Gallows every night. I just want to spend some time with you. Investigating murders, studying corpses, questioning frightened family members. You know, quality time.”

“Yes, sister.” Bethany sighed and glanced over at Merrill. “Is she making you come with us?”

“Yes,” Hawke said, looking back down at her papers.

“Oh!” Merrill sat up straighter. “I thought that I would go with Varric and Isabela to Darktown. You’re going with Isabela, aren’t you?”

Cole nodded beside her. He’d been picking at the same piece of bread for minutes but his bright eyes were fresher than they’d been for days. He’d actually been having full, confusing conversations with Merrill all morning.

“I don’t know. Darktown is, well, Darktown." Hawke glanced between Merrill and Cole and sighed. “Take Duke with you, please. He could use the walk in the most dangerous and disgusting part of town.”

“Don’t worry about the children, my love. Papa and I will keep a close eye on them.” Isabela leaned forward so that her cleavage was on risky display. “You take good care of Fenris for Mama.”

“Mmmm.” Hawke waggled her eyebrows and laughed.

“I’m disturbed by this family you’re describing, Admiral.” Dog said. 

“Yes, clearly Aveline is the mother in this scenario.” Hawke pursed her lips in contemplation.

Dog stared at her. “I don’t know if that makes its better or not.”

“Best not to think about it,” Bethany said and smiled brightly at him. “I try not to, at least.”

 

Darktown was easily the worst place in Kirkwall. Everything was slick and dirty while everyone looked at them like they were contemplating what their eyeballs tasted like. Merrill padded around on her little bare feet, chatting happily with Cole about string of all things, and Dog felt the urge to ask her if she wanted to ride on his back so that her feet wouldn’t get dirty. He didn’t, mostly because he was pretty sure that she would say yes and that would too adorable to stand.

“I got it tangled up in the gardens in Hightown and had to leave it behind. It was very sad. Varric gave it to me as a welcome gift when I moved to Kirkwall.” Merrill beamed at Varric’s broad back like he’d given her a diamond-encrusted house instead of a ball of yarn.

“It’s still trapped under the tulips. A bird made a nest with most of it and the gardener didn’t want to move her, a new mother with three little chirping chicks.” Cole grinned at Merrill when she gasped in delight. “He feeds them bits of bread and listen to them sing.”

“That’s wonderful. Varric, did you hear that?”

“That’s great, Daisy. I’m glad your risky trespassing in the Viscount’s gardens gave some bird a new home. Remind me to get you a new ball of yarn.” Varric shook his head as they approached a small group of men who were from Isabela’s ship alongside a few smugglers.

Dog stayed back as Isabela and Varric began working out their plans for smuggling her goods into Kirkwall with the rest of the men. He watched with fond amusement as Cole and Merrill sat on some stairs and continued talking about whatever odd thing floated into their heads. He could definitely see why the Admiral had wanted to introduce them. 

As he glanced around terrible Darktown he noticed a bright red ribbon tied around a pole. As he looked closer he realized that there were several red ribbons tied throughout Darktown’s small marketplace. After looking back for a few moments to make sure that Varric and Isabela were still in their negotiations Dog wandered over. 

He fixed a lazy grin at an elven merchant and nodded to the ribbon tied around his sign. “Friend of yours give you that? I wonder if I know her.”

“Maybe,” the elf said with a raised eyebrow. “I’ve got a lot of friends. Name’s Tomwise, messere. You in the market for some poisons?”

“Not really my style.” Dog stared at the ribbon for a few moments longer. It could just be a coincidence but he doubted it. The Friends all had their own way of establishing territory but it was usually pretty distinctive. There was small town in Ferelden where the strays probably all still had red handkerchiefs tied around them. 

“Have it your own way.” Tomwise scratched his cheek. “As I think it over, I wonder if my thoughtful friend might be just over there, giving us a lookover even as we speak.”

Dog looked over to see pretty brown-haired woman with bright blue eyeshadow watching them. He smiled toothily at her and wandered over, casual and slow. She leaned back against the wall and pulled out a pipe at his approach. He lit it for her and they leaned together for a few quiet moments.

“I think we share a friend,” Charade said lightly.

“All possible, love. My friend has friends all over,” Dog said, amazed that the words came so quickly. He hadn’t even used the phrases with Sera, mostly because she’d messed it up so badly that he just flat-out admitted who he was to get her to stop talking. Dog scratched in head at a sudden thought. “But I heard that you were mucking around Tantervale, not Kirkwall.”

“I came to Kirkwall because I heard my cousin came back. Things are always more interesting around her.”

“Who’s your cousin then?” Dog frowned. 

“You should know. You’re living with her. Hawke is my cousin.” Charade gave him a smoky look. “I try to keep it a secret. My friend isn’t much for the gentry, as you know.”

Dog laughed. “Doubt Hawke’s what we think of when we think of the high-end.”

“I’ve heard you gave up the work.” Charade frowned. “It’s a shame. I liked what you did. A little amateur maybe, but it was fun to hear about.”

“Sera been talking shite about me? She’s the one sleeping with a flash noble holy woman now. I just got into a bit of trouble and decided to lay low.”

“Sera never said anything to me. I heard it out of Antiva City. That’s your main drop-off, isn’t it?”

“Not anymore,” Dog said. So Fidela knew he was alive. He wondered what the Inquisitor’s Advisors had told her to make her spread word about him quitting his work.

“It’s too full of Crows anyway. There’s no point messing around with the merchant princes when half of them are in the House’s pocket.”

“Half’s a low estimate.” Dog scratched his back against the wall.

“Sounds like Kirkwall. Corruption and greed, that’s how the city runs. The new Viscount couldn’t possibly curtail the nobility’s excess, even if he wanted to, which I doubt. It might be handy to have another friend in town when I need one. You interested?”

“Let me think it over,” Dog said. “I’ve other concerns now too but it’s real tempting.”

“Whatever you say.” Charade shrugged. “If you want to find me, pass the word through my father. He’s usually at the fancy whorehouse in Hightown.”

“Pleasure meeting.” Dog nodded to her and walked away, feeling invigorated in a way he hadn’t since he’d quit working.

He went back to his group only to see Isabela and Varric finishing their talk with the smugglers. Merrill and Cole were nowhere to be seen. He walked up to Isabela as she sent the last of her men back down into the Darktown tunnels. “Where’s Cole?”

Isabela and Varric looked around in surprise. Varric swore. “I took my eyes off of them for one Maker-damned minute and they wandered away. Where were you?”

“Talking with a friend.” Dog looked around to the endless sharp corridors in Darktown. “Where the fuck did they go?”

“They probably saw a butterfly and followed it. They’ll be fine.” Isabela patted Duke on the head. “Let’s go find them.”

Duke barked up at her and immediately took off down a long hallway. He led them up and down several flights of rickety stairs before coming to a stop in front of a door. He pawed at it, whining.

“Of course they ended up here,” Varric muttered. He moved Duke aside and opened the door, leading the group into large room.

Dog came in and stopped in shock. Merrill and Cole were indeed in the room but so were what had to be dozens of cats. Mangy cats, clean cats, young cats, old cats. The room was filled almost top to bottom with mewling, purring cats.

Duke was stock-still beside him obviously also stunned. Several of the cats hissed in their direction and Dog automatically sat his hand down on Duke’s head when he growled back. “They’re not worth it, friend.”

Merrill looked up from where she was pressing her face into the side of a fat black cat and waved eagerly at them. “Look at what we found.”

“He forgot how to be one person and then he forgot how to be two. That’s when everything went wrong,” Cole was telling an attentive little group of kittens perched on his lap. “He’s sorry he can’t feed you anymore but it wouldn’t be right to be here when she is.”

“Holy shit,” Isabela said.

“You said it,” Varric agreed. “I should have realized that Blondie was feeding every stray in the city. No wonder he always looked so thin.”

Dog forced himself over to where Cole was happily playing with his kitten fan club, followed by a tense Duke, his stubby tail moving low to the ground. Cole looked up at him.

“They should come with us,” Cole said before Dog could say anything. “They don’t like being down here and people don’t like them being anywhere else. They should live in Hawke’s place.”

“Yes,” Merrill breathed in clear delight.

Isabela started laughing. “Maker, I would love to see the look on Hawke’s face if she came home to this.”

“What about your rat? And Duke, rabbit?” Dog was reluctant to burst Cole’s eager bubble but there was no way he was going to live in a house filled with scratching, biting cats. Dog petted Duke beside him. “It’s not fair to make him share his home with all these cats.”

Cole looked at Duke and frowned. “You wouldn’t like it, would you?”

“But we can’t leave them all here!” Merrill protested. She held up a kitten beside her as though it was all the reason she needed. “People might drown them in the ocean.”

“I have an idea,” Varric said, his eyes narrowing in impish contemplation. “It’ll make one person really mad but he’s always mad anyway.”

 

In the end it took several trips to move all the cats from Darktown up to the dilapidated mansion in Hightown that Fenris still lived in but once they were all there, pawing and gnawing on skeletons in the main hall, everybody agreed that it’d been a good idea.

“Are these real people?” Dog asked curiously as he pried an extremely small flat-faced cat out of a ribcage.

“Oh, yes,” Merrill said, nodding in solemnity as two kittens tried to pass one another on her shoulders. “Fenris likes the reminder that he killed them all.”

“Good to know,” Dog muttered.

Suddenly the door to the mansion opened and Fenris stepped in with Hawke, Bethany, and Aveline right behind him. He came to sharp stop when he took in the sight before him.

Hawke stared stunned for only a few seconds before bursting into loud, uncontrollable laughter. Isabela joined her a moment later and the two came together to laugh into each other’s arms. Bethany was holding back laughter behind her hand, her eyes flicking from Fenris to the cat-filled room. 

“It was Varric’s idea,” Merrill said quickly, holding the large black cat up to her chest like a shield. “They need a place to stay.”

“You got lots of room, right, Elf?” Varric snickered and it set Hawke and Isabela off again.

Fenris straightened his back and glared at them all. Then he pursed his lips and shrugged. “This is fine.”

“Really?” Varric said, almost breathlessly.

“I like cats. They’re fine here.” Then Fenris, with all the dignity that he could muster, walked past them and up into his bedroom. He was followed by three fluffy white cats and that more than anything else finally made Aveline start laughing. 

“You’re all terrible people,” Aveline said, rubbing her eyes. "I should stop being friends with you."


	15. In Which Hawke Goes Full Marlowe On Kirkwall’s Ass and Cole Is Bad-Touched in a Dream

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd love to play a Dragon Age game that's just Aveline, Fenris, and Hawke solving murders, all LA Noire-style. Isabela would be the sexy femme fatale that keeps getting Hawke in trouble with the law, Merrill would be the earnest young reporter, and Varric would be the shady businessman with a heart of gold. Anders might also be the sexy femme fatale. Maybe everybody would be except for Aveline because she's the sexy disapproving police captain.

“Did you know her, Hawke?” Aveline asked as she stood over the body of the young elven woman a Guard had discovered that morning on her patrol.

Hawke pulled off one of her taloned gauntlets and gently pushed the hair away from the woman’s face. “Why just take one of her arms? Now she won’t match when he builds his new woman.”

“Hawke.” Aveline put her hand down on Hawke’s shoulder. Hawke shuddered and then turned her suddenly smiling face up at her.

“I knew her a little. Mother bought flowers from her.” Hawke coughed. “I think that Orana still goes to her. Well, she did. She’ll have to go elsewhere now.”

“You think that this killer is copying Quentin’s plans?” Fenris clenched his hands at his side. “Filthy blood mage.”

“I’ll find him,” Hawke said certainly, speaking directly to the body. “You’ll be the last one.”

“I suppose that the first murder wasn’t connected if the killer is looking for parts.” Aveline nodded to a few of her men, who came forward to take the body away. “He wasn’t missing anything.”

“But they were all elves. Even the first one.” Hawke glanced over at Fenris. “And I’ve known the last two.”

“A message designed specifically for you?” Fenris tilted his head.

“It could be a coincidence,” Hawke said with false optimism. “I do know a lot of people. If someone’s randomly killing elves, it’s just as likely that I would know them as not.”

“This is going to cause a panic in the alienage.” Aveline sighed. “I hate to say this, Hawke, but it’ll be worse since you took Merrill into your home. They’ll think that you know more than you do.”

“Are you suggesting we move her back in?” Hawke crossed her arms, all semblances of humor gone from her face.

“Of course not!” Aveline looked upset at the very idea. “I’m pointing out a fact to you. What you do carries weight, from Hightown to Darktown. Everyone is looking to you.”

“I’ll have to start dressing better then.” Hawke rubbed some blood off of her armor. “Quentin gave his victims a gift before he took them. We should start with that. Let’s go talk to Merrill and see if Arianni had gotten anything recently.”

 

“We had just arrived back in Kirkwall. Then we fought and then she died. I don’t know if Arianni had received gifts from anyone.” Merrill was staring up at Hawke with enormous sad eyes. “Oh, Hawke, do you really think that someone is using Quentin’s spells?”

“He had one apprentice. He could have had another. Mages come together like flies around a flame,” Fenris said.

“They like the light but they don’t know that that the heat kills them,” Cole said distantly and lowered his head when Fenris glared at him. 

“Cole, you know all sorts of weird things about people,” Hawke said with sudden excitement. “Do you know anything about this?”

Cole hesitated. “I tried to listen with Arianni around the tree but there was only fear and anger, resigned and fresh altogether. The shem Champion will protect her pet and leave the rest of us for slaughter. I don’t know anything else.”

“I suppose that’s fair,” Hawke murmured, sounding a little hurt.

Merrill stared down at her legs. “I should go back to the alienage. I should try to explain to the people that you’re trying to help.”

“You’re not going anywhere,” Hawke snapped so fiercely that everyone in the room froze. 

“Love,” Isabela said with a small, uncertain laugh.

Hawke closed her eyes and visibly gathered herself together. She opened them back on Merrill. “I want you to stay here until we figure this out, Merrill. People won’t listen to you when they’re so scared. The best way for you to help would be to help me catch whoever’s doing this.” 

“If you say so, Hawke,” Merrill said in a small voice. She glanced up at Cole for a moment and he nodded slightly at her. She turned back to Hawke. “I’ll do whatever you need me to do.”

“Good. Great.” Hawke nodded her head briskly.

Suddenly Orana knocked quietly on the door and then came in. She curtsied when she saw the full room. “I’m sorry to interrupt, Milady, but you’ve a message from the Viscount. He wants to see you and Mistress Aveline. Immediately.”

“Fantastic,” Hawke muttered. 

 

“I’m not blaming the Guard for this, Captain, but I am in a difficult position right now. The nobility are worried.” The new Viscount was handsome and young, with dark hair and fine aristocratic features. “Admittedly they’re more worried about the possibility of the killer moving to humans, but they’re still very eager to see this matter resolved.”

“Of course,” Aveline said. 

“Well, so long as the nobility think that we should solve these murders.”

“Hawke!” Aveline shot her a reproving look but the Viscount just chuckled wryly.

“I understand your feelings, Lady Hawke, but the reality is that the nobility are the true power in Kirkwall, at least as it stands now. I’m bound to their approval. This city has been in upheaval for years and the old ruling families have been the only constant.” The Viscount sat behind his desk and regarded Hawke with light, penetrating eyes. “Having you officially help the Guard with this investigation is my way of letting the gentry see that one of their own is personally handling this situation. You may not like it, Lady Hawke, but you hold considerable power in Kirkwall.”

“So everyone keeps telling me.” Hawke scratched her cheek. “And yet I still can’t get a decent meal in Lowtown.”

Aveline made an exasperated noise and rubbed her head but the Viscount laughed again.

“My predecessor left a journal of his time here. I can see that everything he wrote about you was actually an understatement.” The Viscount stood up. “Please keep me updated on this situation. I want to see it resolved quickly.”

“We won’t disappoint you.” Aveline stood and nodded to the Viscount. 

“We probably will disappoint you, if history has anything to say about it. But we will stop this killer.” Hawke held out her hand and with a raised eyebrow the Viscount shook it. “I promise.”

 

“Hawke is a little stressed right now, kitten. You mustn’t take her too seriously.” Isabela watched with wary eyes as Merrill paced around in her room. She smiled sharply at Cole. “Incidentally that’s good advice with anyone.”

Cole nodded. He was watching Merrill closely. “Everything’s gone wrong again and I should be helping but Hawke’s treating me like she's a Keeper. Silly, muddled Merrill who never listens when she should and can’t be trusted with anything more dangerous than a kitten.” 

“Yes, exactly,” Merrill said. She stopped pacing and dropped to her knees in front of Cole, clasping at his hands. “She doesn’t think that I can take care of myself but I can.”

“Yes, you’re very strong,” Cole said. “You could kill us all if you wanted.”

“Well, I don’t care for this conversation. Hawke is just worried about you.” Isabela’s voice was firm but her face was troubled. “I’ll talk to her.”

“No,” Cole said, looking out into nothing. “She can’t listen. Blood and terror are all she hears. When you talk, she only worries that you’ll be the next person who’s lost in her ascent. Someone always falls before she rises.”

Cole entwined his hands with Merrill and stared beseechingly at her. “We can help but only if she doesn’t know we are. I don’t remember my dreams anymore but I know that I can see the city as it was and will be. I can look for the answers there.”

“You can walk in the Fade and ask other sprits for help?” Merrill looked delighted at the thought.

“No, I can’t go back there like that. I’m the wrong shape for it now. But the city is talking to me. You can help me remember what it’s saying.”

Merrill nodded eagerly. Isabela hesitated. “I don’t think this is very good idea. Lamb, why don’t you see what your man has to say before you start interrogating the demon city in your sleep?”

“No, I won’t tell Dog that we’re looking.” Cole frowned. “He loves me no matter what I am. If I become bad again, he won’t stop me.” 

Cole gently touched the tip of Merrill’s staff and it sparked under his fingers. “You can stop me, Merrill. If I become a monster, do you promise that you’ll kill me?”

Merrill set her lips firmly together and looked over to a wide-eyed Isabela. Then she turned her head to Cole and nodded. “Yes. I will. I promise.” 

“Will you help us, Admiral? Please help us save Hawke from pulling apart and leaving you behind again.” Cole asked, fixing his unblinking eyes on Isabela.

Isabela stared at the two clinging together. She sighed heavily. “Yes. Damn you both. If Hawke won’t let me help her, I suppose I’ll just have to help you.”

She held out her hand to Merrill’s staff, setting it firmly on top of Cole’s bandaged hand. “And if you turn into some disgusting abomination, I promise I’ll stab you in the back.”

“Thank you,” Cole said happily.

 

“This is the third elven woman that’s been butchered so far.” Charade tipped back a bottle and drank heavily. 

Dog followed suit, draining his dry and smiling at Norah who immediately brought him a new one. He leaned forward conspiratorially. “Hawke says it’s some blood mage trying to make a woman for himself. Says it happened before.”

“Yes, he murdered Hawke’s mother. My father is still devastated.” Charade leaned forward as well. “I think she’s wrong though.”

“Yeah?” Dog craned his neck over to see if Varric was coming back. When he’d contacted Charade he hadn’t really thought they’d be discussing the murders that were consuming Hawke and the Guard. It wasn’t really Friend business per se.

“I think some nobles went too far in their fun with an alienage girl and covered it up to look like the murders all those years ago. Then they realized they could keep at it.” 

Dog’s eyes narrowed. “Seems a bit elaborate to me. Elf girls get missing all the time. The gentry wouldn’t have to mock up a murder spree to cover it up.”

“You don’t know what the nobility are like here.” Charade gripped the neck of her drink hard. “This would be like a game to them. They can do what they want to the elves, cause a panic, and make the elf-loving Champion run around looking for a ghost. They’ve been growing more vicious towards the elves since Hawke left. She wouldn’t put up with it. What better way to distract her?”

“Say you’re in the right here. How can we find out?”

“The proof has to be somewhere. I know the nobility that have been mucking around in the alienage. We can get inside their homes and look for evidence.”

“Might they notice we’re messing about in their delicates?” Dog frowned but he was feeling a bit excited about the idea. It’d been a long time since he’d had a good breaking and entering.

“Oh, they will notice that we were there. But they won’t know why. Not with us making it clear that it’s the Friends targeting them. They’ll be so turned around they won’t even realize what we’re really doing.” Charade grinned at him and before he could think about it he was grinning back.

He tipped his beer to hers. “Sounds like fun, love.” 

 

“You have a nice day out with Merrill and the Admiral?” Dog asked Cole casually as they got ready for bed. 

“Yes,” Cole said shortly. His shoulders were tense as he sat down on the edge of the bed. “You’re going to break into Lady Lacroix’s house tomorrow and steal her dogs.”

Dog laughed and came over to him, setting his hands on Cole’s shoulders. “No point hiding from you, rabbit. You see right through me. Do you know why I’m doing it?”

“You think she might know who killed those women.”

“Does she?” Dog asked. As soon as Charade had proposed her plan he’d thought of Cole but he’d been reluctant to pull him into this. Cole was disoriented and muddled in Kirkwall and Dog didn’t want to add onto his confusion.

Cole shook his head hard. “I don’t know. People are more firm now. I can see parts of you and the others, familiar memories of hurt, but strangers don’t let me in and I’m forgetting how they did before.” 

“Hey, then, that’s all right.” Dog wrapped his arms around Cole in comfort. He could feel him shaking from his words and it made Dog sad somewhere deep inside where Cole might not be able to touch anymore. “That’s what people are like.”

“I don’t know if it’s right for me. I thought it was, so that I could be the Cole that he wanted to be, but I might just become the only Cole there is and there won’t be anything left of the me that was before.”

“You’ll find the right way of it, rabbit,” Dog said softly. “People change more than spirits do but they’re still the same people. Sometimes the parts inside just shift around a bit.”

Cole didn’t say anything to that but he stopped shaking and when Dog maneuvered them under the covers, he lay his head against his shoulder like he had for months. As Cole fell asleep Dog listened to his steady breathing and hoped that he was right.

 

Cole moaned as Dog kissed him, pressing him hard against a cool wall. Cole didn’t know where they were but the hands on his body felt sure, pulling pleasure from him in familiar ways.

“That’s my sweet thing,” Dog murmured heatedly, pushing him harder against the wall. “You’ll give it all to me, won’t you?”

“Yes,” Cole said with a gasp. His hand stretched out along the wall, searching for something to grip in order steady him against Dog’s movements. His fingers slipped along a rough groove in the white stone and it sparked something in his head even as Dog began pulling at the ties on his shirt.

“Wait.” Cole tried to turn his head to look at the many long grooves he could feel under his fingers but Dog grabbed his face and turned it the other way. 

“Let’s not get distracted, yeah? We’re in something here.” Dog bit hard on Cole’s neck and it exploded into pain.

“Stop!” Cole pushed Dog away with all of his strength, feeling at the broken skin on his neck in shock.

Dog glared at him. “Changed your mind now? You gave it so easily before.”

“Who are you?” Cole asked. He reached for his daggers but they were gone.

“Are you bored of this shape? I don’t blame you.” The thing that looked like Dog gave himself a mocking once-over, spreading his arms out in presentation. “Let’s try something else.”

Suddenly Dog’s body began pulsing and shifting until he turned into Isabela, her grin wide and lascivious. She slid up against him and whispered hotly, "Now this is lovely shape. Do you want to try something new, lamb? I can show you all kinds of pretty things.”

“No,” Cole said firmly. “You’re not really her.”

“You’re starting to irritate me, little one. That should mean a walk off the plank. But we can try again. How about this?” Isabela blurred a bit before transforming into Fenris, his eyes narrowed and angry. He grabbed Cole’s shoulders and shoved him roughly against the wall. “I like this one. I’m humming on the outside. Can’t you feel it? Don’t you want to feel it? You can. Just let me in.”

“No.” Cole let the creature squeeze his shoulders hard and didn’t flinch when it growled in his face. Suddenly its face shifted into one that looked oddly familiar, even though Cole didn’t know where he’d seen it before.

“Well, I tried. Nobody can say I didn’t,” the man said with a shrug. “You should get out of here before I lose my temper.”

The man pressed his palm to Cole’s head and grinned with a face full of too many teeth. “Wake up.”

Cole gasped himself awake. It was barely light outside and Dog shifted sleepily as Cole sat there breathing hard. Already his dream was fading away, leaving him with an unsettled feeling in the pit of his stomach.

This was definitely starting to be a problem.


	16. In Which Fenris Becomes a Friend to All Animals and Cole Get His First Real (Semi-Legitimate) Job

Fenris woke with the gentle light coming in through his windows and stretched long on the luxurious sheets on his bed, freshly laundered by Orana just the other day despite his protests. He didn’t want her serving him but whenever he said that she would just smile politely, curtsy, and mop his kitchen floor again. He had to admit that the house smelled better. 

His movements dislodged three fat white kittens that all mewled in petulant protest and then realized he was awake. Then they mewled in excitement and rolled their little tubby bodies off the bed to the floor. 

Once there they began a symphony of meowing that woke most of the other cats sleeping and shedding on Danarius’s fine furniture. Soon the room was filled with the sounds of hungry cats.

Fenris yawned and stretched some more, ignoring them for a moment in order to enjoy the morning. He’d had a pretty good night, he supposed, even with Hawke acting even stranger than usual. She’d played Wicked Grace with him and Varric for hours, drinking and laughing over old stories until she’d passed out and Isabela had dragged her upstairs. Earlier in the night Hawke had actually made him promise not to walk home alone, which was absurd, but he’d found himself strolling home with Varric anyway, breathing in the night air with a strange contentment. 

True, the city was in the grip of a serial killing blood mage and Hawke was possibly losing her mind while sharing her home with a literal demon and two mages. But he was happy that his friends were all in one place once again. Kirkwall hadn’t felt like home without them.

As Fenris curled his bare fingers up he accidentally poked his favorite of the horde of cats, a cranky black kitten with a flat face and stubby legs. He’d named it Chair after Merrill had insisted that he name the cats. His response had been to name them all after what they were near at the time. He actually had around five Chairs but this was one was the first.

Chair hissed at him and then went completely limp when he picked him up. He set him on his shoulder, where he would begrudgingly stay as long as he was in the house, even when he gave him ample opportunities to go somewhere else.

Fenris yawned again and made his way into the kitchen, led by a furious army of apparently starving kittens. He made himself coffee first, just to make them all more angry, and then tipped over the food that Orana brought for him every other day. Duke always looked miserable carrying it on his back.

Chair made a disinterested noise when he offered him a bit of the meat but ate it with the air of someone doing an enormous favor. Then he flopped even heavier over his shoulder. Fenris scratched him lightly behind the ears.

Once the horde had been mostly satisfied Fenris picked up his coffee and made his way towards the private garden. He liked the garden. He’d turned the skeleton of one of the corpses into a scarecrow and let Merrill plant some things, although only after he’d been satisfied that she couldn’t use the plants in any of her disgusting spells. The garden was peaceful and serene in the morning and he liked to do his exercises there as the sun rose above the courtyard walls. It was his favorite part of the day.

However as he entered the garden he was greeted by several excited yips. To his surprise four of the tiniest, fluffiest dogs he’d ever seen in his life raced towards him. They barked and jumped around him with what seemed like the most glee anyone could ever feel. He stared. Chair gave a half-hearted yowl and closed his eyes, relaxing into a morning nap.

Fenris reached down and gripped one of the fluffy dogs in his hand. The dog was clearly ecstatic at having been chosen for this and tried with all of its power to lick at the hand holding it up. It yipped down at its siblings and they expressed their honest joy at its great fortune.

“Wasn’t sure if you used this garden. You don’t seem much like the weeds and flowers sort.” Fenris turned his head towards the voice and saw Hawke’s large houseguest standing sheepishly in the archway of the garden. Another small dog was almost apoplectic with delight as it poked its head out of the knapsack at his side.

“Why are there five small dogs in my garden? And why are you here?” Fenris set the dog back down on the ground and frowned when it ran around in a gleeful circle.

“You’ll laugh at this, I swear.” Dog grinned what he clearly thought was a charming smile and then coughed when Fenris continued staring at him. “I might have relieved the Lady DuMere of her unwanted litter.”

“You stole these dogs?” Fenris tried to remember which one of the nobles Lady DuMere was. She was definitely one of the ones that scowled at him as he made his way around Hightown but that didn’t narrow it down very much.

“It’s barely stealing, really.” Dog held up his hands in protest and then plucked the dog from his knapsack. “She was furious about them. A street mutt got to her fancy girl and knocked her up with all these little ladies. She wanted her kitchen girl to throw them off the dock.”

Dog brought the dog up to his face and smiled broadly when she licked at his face. “Can you imagine? Friendliest little girls in the world and that rich git wanted to drown them. Nobles don’t deserve dogs. All this loyalty is wasted on those pricks.”

He carefully set the dog on the ground and she went bounding over to her sisters, cheerfully barking about her solo adventure. Chair made a deep, unhappy noise in the back of his throat but refused to open his eyes.

“How very chivalrous of you,” Fenris said drily. “But it doesn’t explain why they’re in my garden.” 

“Yeah, noticed that, didn’t you? Can’t slip nothing past you.” Dog rubbed the back of his head. “I might have done some other mischief at the Lady DuMere’s house. And in some of her neighbor’s houses. Just moved some things around, mostly just a prank, right? But she’s close to Hawke’s place and folks always have their eyes on her. Don’t want to get Hawke in trouble with Aveline or the gentry.”

“But you don’t care about trouble coming to me.”

“Not particularly, no,” Dog said and then laughed. “Joking with you, friend, don’t want trouble coming your way either. But the flash lot don’t look your way if they can help it. And you’re not really the prank sort so who’s gonna come knocking on your door about it?”

Fenris let out a deep sigh. His first instinct was to demand that Dog take his mutts and get the hell out of his house. He had no actual problem with the man, despite his unfortunate choice in bedmates, but he didn’t want to be involved in this sort of childish nonsense.

However…

The dogs did look really happy in his garden. And Aveline never stepped foot this far into his house. And he had no great love of the nobility and their cruelty and excess. Hawke was the rare exception to their whole class. 

“They can stay,” Fenris said finally. “But no more animals. I’m not running a menagerie.”

“I knew you weren’t as big a prick as you seemed,” Dog said cheerfully. “Well, my rabbit told me so and I should of known he was right. Always thinks the best of people, that one, and he should know.”

Fenris frowned, not particularly pleased at the remark, but before he could say anything some of the cats marched out into the garden and found the dogs. The resulting cacophony was distracting enough that Fenris never saw the other man leave.

 

Dog whistled cheerfully as he made his way through Hightown, nodding at the sour-faced nobles as he went. He winked at a pretty noble girl out with her old husband and she scoffed. He wondered idly how quickly she would change her tune if he ran into her without the husband. Noble girls and boys liked to roll around in the dirt if nobody was watching.

Not that he was very interested in returning to that part of his criminal career. Cole might not even mind him sleeping with other people but he certainly wouldn’t like him to do it with people he didn’t like in order to steal from them. That would likely not be helping.

He bounded into Hawke’s manor only to nearly stumble over Hawke, limbs spread out with her face in the carpet of the main hall. Duke was curled up next to her but barked up at Dog when he saw him.

“Your mistress had a night of it, did she?” Dog scratched Duke’s head and smiled when he sniffed curiously at his fingers. Duke barked questioningly. “Maybe I’ll tell you about my night later, friend.”

“Were you gone last night?” Hawke asked into the carpet. “I thought that you were here. How could I possibly have misplaced you?”

“I’m guessing you misplaced everybody down the bottom of a bottle last night.” Dog helped a reluctant Hawke up to her feet and into a chair. She rubbed her temples hard.

“I’m not making much progress towards finding this killer. I’m starting to think that heavy drinking might not be the answer.” 

“Never say that, love. I believe in your methods.” Isabela sauntered down the stairs in a dress that seemed to stay on her body by the grace of all the Chantry prayers in the world. Despite her facile words she looked briefly concerned as she eyed Hawke. 

“Bela, thank the Maker you’re here.” Hawke held out an arm towards Isabela and pulled her into her lap. “I desperately need you to put on a shorter dress and nurse me back to health. For Kirkwall.”

“That would be feat,” Dog murmured and nodded to the women. “I’ll let you get to that then. Sounds like a full day.”

“Ask Cole about my business proposal.” Hawke pulled her face out of Isabela’s ample bosom for a moment to talk almost seriously to Dog. “I think that it would be a good idea. Get you kids out of the city for a little bit and see the beautiful wildlife of the Free Marches.”

“Sure?” Dog scratched in head in confusion. Isabela deliberately made eye contact with him for a moment, her dark eyes solemn as she nodded. Then she began cooing in a syrupy voice to Hawke as she stroked her head. 

“My poor Champion. Your Admiral will fix you right up in no time.” 

Dog didn’t know from where she pulled out the big bottle of grog but Hawke seemed pretty unconcerned by the miracle.

 

Cole bumped his legs against the wall under the windowsill and tried to remember. He brought the quill up to his mouth and chewed lightly on the feather. It didn’t really help him know what to write in Vivienne’s gift journal but it made him feel better. The bird had been content right up until the moment the arrow had pierced her heart.

The rat chittered up from his place beside Cole on the ledge. He rubbed the top of his head in the way that made him happiest and the rat went back to his meal. It had actually been Cole’s meal, prepared with sweetness and affection by Orana an hour earlier. He reminded her of someone that she missed and it made her extra happy when he enjoyed her food. He’d tried his best but he didn’t know how anybody could enjoy eating fruit and bread after the honey was gone so he’d secreted it up to his room.

Dog burst in through the bedroom door. He was beaming with pride and excitement, which Cole could see just by looking carefully at his face. Varric had told him that people’s face said what their emotions were most of the time and that if he couldn’t read their minds often these days, he should try just looking at them. This was proving harder than Cole thought it should be because people sometimes smiled when they weren’t happy to hide all of the hurting in them but he was trying. He was pretty sure Dog was happy.

“Are you happy?” Cole asked him, kicking hard against the wall.

“As a pig in mud,” Dog said. 

Cole nodded. He was getting better at this. Of course he knew Dog pretty well, inside and out, so maybe that helped.

“What are you doing there?” Dog eyed Cole sitting on the windowsill, his book open on his lap with all of its pages still blank.

“I’m trying to remember what I’m supposed to remember.” Cole watched the rat grab the last piece of bread and scurry down the wall towards the hole he’d made for himself. “All of the nights are bleeding together in white light. I want to remember who I am when I leave here and go there.”

“That’s a busy job.” Dog set his bag onto the bed and pulled out several small, identical tokens. “Any luck with it?”

“No.” Cole stared at the tokens. “Where did you go last night?”

“Your man’s been hard at work, sweet,” Dog said. His voice had dropped low, to a timbre that made little shivers start running down Cole’s arms and legs. Cole closed the book. He wouldn’t need it right now.

Dog strolled over to the windowsill and ran his hand up Cole’s legs until he was cradling his hips. He pushed up until Cole made room for him to press up against him, his legs twining automatically around Dog’s waist.

“I did myself a good deed. You’ll be proud of me.” Dog made a low huffing noise and nuzzled at Cole’s neck. It felt nice—warm and promising—so Cole sighed, his arms sliding around Dog’s shoulders.

“Did you steal those tokens?” Cole asked, trying to glance around Dog to see them on the bed. Something about the symbol on them pulled at the edges of his mind and he wanted to get a closer look. 

“Easy as could be, sweet, but that wasn’t my good deed. I saved five of the nicest dogs in this whole city from getting thrown out like fish guts.” Dog grinned. “Was pure luck I was there when it was going to happen.”

“That’s good. It’s good that you helped them,” Cole said sincerely. He let out a surprised sound when Dog kissed him.

Cole definitely knew the look on Dog’s face when he pulled back and licked his lips. It made him ache sharply for a moment as his body abruptly remembered what that look meant for him.

“Look at you sitting here, like a proper good boy waiting for his lessons while the masters of the house are out.” Dog looked him up and down with hooded eyes. “You’d be a pretty treat for someone sneaking in through this window.”

“I don’t think that anybody could sneak up on me,” Cole said thoughtfully, glancing over his shoulder to the alleyway below. “I would hear them.”

“Not if he was a professional thief, been watching this place for days, waiting for the right moment to get inside.” Dog leaned in again, kissing down Cole’s neck slowly. “He’d be wanting all the nice things that the Lord and Lady keep locked up safe and that goes double for their pretty son.”

Cole moaned softly as Dog moved a hand down to caress against his lap. He tried to think, tried to figure out what Dog was really saying but he couldn’t see his face when it was pressed against his neck. 

“What do you think, sweet, would you give this bad man what he wants?” Dog pressed a little harder against him. “Mum and Da are out at their fancy party and leaving you all alone. Don’t that make you want someone to come through your window and show you something nice?”

Realization hit Cole like a hammer. “Oh, you’re pretending! Like the Admiral and Hawke pretend at guards and robbers or evil queens and shepherdesses.”

Dog chuckled. “There’s my clever rabbit. You wanna pretend with me? Be my innocent rich lord and let me steal all that innocence right off of you?”

“I can do that,” Cole decided. It was sometimes just hard to remember who he actually was but it might be fun to pretend to be someone else. The Iron Bull and Dorian had liked it too and they knew the most about what felt nice. 

He let the book drop heavily to the floor and pretended.

 

Later after what Dog had decided was one of the oddest but most satisfying role-playing sessions he’d ever had, the two of them were putting themselves back towards respectability and he remembered Hawke’s parting comment.

“Hawke told me she had a business idea for you?” Dog picked up one of the tokens he’d found in the houses he’d ransacked and began sliding it across his knuckles. “What’s that about?”

“Yes, she offered the job to me because she wants Merrill to follow me out of the city. She thinks that she should worry about Merrill, let it twine around her sharpest hurts so that she’s wary, but we want to go anyway.” Cole fought briefly trying to get his heavily buckled shirt on and Dog smiled. He helped him sort it out and kissed him softly on his nose.

“But what is it, rabbit, what does Hawke want you doing?”

“Oh. We’re going to go to the caves that Hawke’s excavation business is going to next and make sure they’re safe.” Cole began winding his scarf around his neck slowly, concentrating. “They’re not. There are lots of spiders.” 

“Sounds like fun.” Dog glanced over at his sledgehammer and decided that he needed to clean it up if he was going to be smashing cave spiders soon. “When do we go?”

“As soon as the Admiral finishes giving Hawke a bath,” Cole said, pulling the scarf into a loose knot. He frowned at the extra parts sticking out but that was more a design flaw than user error so he left it alone. “They’re pretending that the Admiral isn’t worried and that Hawke isn’t sick with fear but they’re calling it healer and wounded soldier. They’ll be done soon.”

“We’re leaving today?” Dog blinked in surprise. “Sudden.”

Cole looked over his shoulder and talked slowly, “You don’t have to come. You can sneak into more houses and look for clues instead.”

“And miss out on all the caves? Not a chance.” Dog swung his arm around Cole’s shoulders. “It sounds like fun.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The caves are not fun, Dog. The caves are never fun.


	17. In Which the Caves Are Actually Not That Bad and Merrill Tries Spirit Bondage While Isabela Supervises

“There’s a giant fucking spider on my face,” Dog said, panicked, but it came out as garbled nonsense because there was a giant-ass fucking spider wriggling its legs all over his face.

It was enormous and hairy, identical to the hundreds of others they’d killed just in the few hours since they’d arrived. The caverns in Sundermount were deep and dark and apparently the original nesting ground for every spider in Thedas. Dog was sick to death of them even before one tried to mate with his nose.

He hit at it ineffectually until a dagger slid through its bulbous body, the tip inches from his chin. He swallowed. Dog loved and trusted Cole’s clever fingers but that was too damned close.

Cole yanked his dagger back and the spider plopped to the ground with a wet thud. Dog hit it with his hammer until it was gooey paste and only then felt a little better about the whole situation.

“She thought that she might be safer in your hair,” Cole said. He eyed his shaggy hair like he was also tempted to wind his spindly limbs up in the dark strands, which was sweet in a weird way, but also made Dog aware that the spider had literally wanted to live on top of him. He shuddered.

“Hawke better be paying us good for this.” Dog flared his nostrils and hoped that the goo on his face wasn’t going to melt his lips off. Cole pulled a plaidweave cloth out of nowhere and began patting Dog’s face with it. Dog wrapped his arms around his waist and pushed his chin forward for cleaning.

“She doesn’t even pay me for these little excursions,” Isabela said, frowning. She was shaking spider guts off of her daggers. “It’s why I usually steal from her after she’s fallen asleep. Plus the practice is good.”

“Does it seem like the ground is moving to anyone else? It feels like it might be moving.” Merrill was lifting up her bare feet one by one as she stared at the dirt floor.

“She’s not happy. And she’s very big,” Cole said, glancing back over his shoulder. Dog followed his gaze to a dark tunnel. Suddenly Cole threw himself over to a wall and an obscenely large spider barreled down the tunnel, slamming into Dog.

“Fuck me!” Dog pushed at one of the long legs pressing into his stomach as Merrill cast a spell on it that made the creature start twisting around in panic. 

“She doesn’t want to live in your hair,” Cole said helpfully and jumped onto the spider’s back.

 

Hours later they stopped for the night and Dog managed to get almost all of the goop off of him, despite the fact that nearly every spider was drawn to him like he was the Herald of the arachnids. 

“You have a first-class arse. I ever tell you that?” Dog squeezed a bit at the aforementioned arse and relaxed more onto the blanket under him. Killing spiders was nasty, unglamorous work but he could live with the aftermath. Cole had found a secret, quiet corner for them to unwind in, far away from Isabela’s smirking suggestions. The walls were glittering and Dog had found some junk in a big chest, which was disappointing but he was trying to keep positive.

Cole made a vague noise, stretching out longer on top of him. Cole had been eager to get him alone and voracious to show him why. Dog reached for one of his hands and kissed at his fingers. “But you know what my favorite part of you is?”

“Yes,” Cole said, tucking a corner of their second blanket under Dog’s shoulder. It was warm and soft and it made Dog yawn a bit for want of sleep. He sniffed and forged on, determined.

“Don’t cheat.” He thumbed over the round tip of Cole’s nose fondly and kissed it. Cole wrinkled his nose at him. “I love your nose. It's my very favorite bit. Better than mine.” 

“You shouldn’t have argued with that bartender about the deer head. She was already mad about her sister’s husband,” Cole said absently, rubbing a bump in Dog’s nose like he could smooth it over. 

“See and if you’d been there, I’d have known that before I got punched. But I did get free drinks out of it. And she’s a good sort. We should go see her sometime.” Dog yawned again. Fighting spiders and then celebratory lovemaking was exhausting.

Cole hummed and tucked the blanket ever tighter around him. Dog smiled fondly at him. “You got a part of me you like best, sweet?”

“Yes. I like how you try to be kind even when you don’t want to be,” Cole said, sounding proud.

Dog chuckled. “That’s inspiring but I meant a bit more physical? I got a part that you can’t get your mind off of?”

Cole thought about it for a long, quiet moment before nodding. He reached down, low, and squeezed. “I like this. It feels good.”

“That a fact?” Dog murmured throatily. Cole rose a bit above him, fingers sliding around his prick. He really didn’t think he had anything left in him but as Cole worked he found himself hardening. Thank the Maker for youthful stamina.

A few quiet moments passed as Cole pressed determinedly against his growing erection. Dog relaxed into the blanket and watched him with hooded eyes. Finally Cole rose up some more, positioned himself and slowly slid down, strong thighs trembling a bit in exertion. Dog groaned low, reaching out. Cole was slick and only half-hard against his fingers, but he firmed up nicely as Dog moved his hand over him. 

“You like my big prick, do you? That’s your favorite thing?” The muscles on Dog’s neck strained as he thrust up the rest of the way into Cole’s body. Cole moaned. “It’s all yours, you know, all for your clever hands and your sweet arse and your pretty mouth.”

A long shiver ran through him as Cole set his hands down on his chest and began riding him in earnest. Dog felt almost grateful towards the caves for giving him back his hungry spirit. Cole had been listless and muddled while they’d been in Kirkwall. It was so good to have him like this again, bright-eyed and eager. It made him want to never go back but he knew that Cole would insist on it. Cole moved a hand over Dog’s lazy fingers and moaned again, just holding onto him as though for support. Dog moved his hand faster, thumbing against his tip and sliding down.

“I really, really like it,” Cole said in a shaking voice, fingers clenching into his chest. He clenched around him and Dog groaned loudly, his release pulled out him in a moment.

Dog sighed in contentment and then tugged lightly at Cole’s straining erection, still in their hands. “Let’s bring that up here and settle this right.”

Cole came to him quickly and as he closed his mouth around him, Dog wondered if he might talk to Hawke about making trips to the caves a regular thing. After all, they couldn’t let the spiders come back after all their hard work. 

 

“I have webbing in my hair. Do you have webbing in your hair?” Isabela vigorously brushed out her dark hair with one of Hawke’s most expensive silver combs, plucked from her dresser right before she’d left. She was planning on selling it as soon as they got back into town and buying something so scandalous to wear that Hawke wouldn’t even complain about the theft.

“No, I didn’t get that close to them.” Merrill slid her toes out and into the dirt. She sighed, feeling bittersweet. She’d missed the caverns of Sundermount, although all the time she’d spent in them before she’d met Hawke had mostly been her trying to get away from the derision of her clan. Still it’d been peaceful. At least when creatures hadn’t been trying to eat her.

Isabela smoothed out the errant strands of her hair, eyes dark and contemplative. She spoke lightly, “So, kitten, we’re not really going to be using blood magic on Cole, are we?”

“No, I rather think that I will. You wouldn’t know what you were doing,” Merrill said, frowning into her lap. Isabela had been quietly trying to talk her out of their plan ever since they’d made it and she was getting tired of it.

“But you don’t really know what it will do. I don’t think that this is going to help.”

“It might,” Cole said, appearing out of the darkness of one of the tunnels. “We won’t know until we try.”

Merrill nodded in agreement. She thought that Cole was very sensible for a spirit. They were usually so single-minded that it drove her crazy but she could have interesting, complicated conversations with Cole. He was so willing to consider new ideas. Honestly she thought that most humans could learn a lot from him.

“Your man all tired out then?” Isabela thinned her lips in disapproval. In addition to trying to talk them out using blood magic on Cole, she’d been persistent in her belief that they should tell Dog what they were planning. Merrill didn’t know why. Isabela kept lots of secrets from Hawke and they only occasionally blew up in her face.

“Yes, he’s asleep now, resting and relaxed.” Cole ducked his head, considering something. “I actually like his hands best, I think. I’ll tell him later.”

“Oh, be sure to tell him that and not that you’re letting someone try to bind you.” Isabela pressed her thighs together and scowled. 

Cole nodded solemnly in agreement. Isabela scoffed, looking away.

“I don’t think that this will hurt you, Cole. But it might so tell me when you’re ready.” Merrill stood up. She brushed the dirt off of her clothes and pulled her sharpest knife out of her belt.

“I’m ready,” Cole said quietly. He knelt down in front of her. 

Merrill slid the knife across her palm quickly and let the blood pool drip down beneath her. The blood called to the thin parts of the Veil, drawing the attention of hungry spirits. She ignored them firmly in order to direct her attention to Cole’s unique energy. Her blood recognized the Fade in him but it was faint and still, barely reacting when she pulled at it in invitation. Merrill frowned and pulled harder, carefully shielding against the curious spirits nearby. It came a bit and Cole gasped, touching at his chest. She stopped pulling and began weaving a spell into the part of him that had risen to her summons.

“What do you remember from your dreams?” Merrill asked him slowly, her eyes growing dark as she tried to thread her magic into the loose strands of Cole’s immaterial nature. It was slippery around her and she didn’t know if it was really catching onto anything.

“White stone,” Cole murmured and coughed. “Loneliness and despair. They made the walls out of death.”

He coughed again, harder and the sound caught in his throat. Isabela almost touched his shoulder but couldn’t bring herself to do it while he was twitching like that, stiff and inhuman.

“You already knew all that,” Merrill said, putting more of her will against the slippery strands. “What else do you remember?”

“I…I don’t know. I can’t,” Cole said and then broke off into more forceful coughing. Bloody spittle came out from where he’d bitten his tongue.

“Stop,” Isabela said urgently. “Merrill, stop this right now.”

Merrill considered ignoring her but the strands were twisting harder away from her. It was unlike any spirit behavior she’d ever seen before. Normally they were all too eager to mold themselves around her. Cole seemed to be actively repelled by her magic. She collapsed the spell and Cole sank down to the ground, breathing hard.

“You shouldn’t have stopped her,” he said to Isabela, wiping his mouth. He didn’t sound angry as much as sad and that helped Isabela find the courage to touch his shoulder. 

“It wasn’t working, lamb, and I’m not going to stand here and watch Merrill pull you apart.”

“I can be unmade and made again,” Cole insisted but he sounded doubtful enough that Isabela felt comfortable shaking her head at him.

“You’ll need to find another way,” she said gently.

“She’s right,” Merrill said reluctantly. “You’re not acting like a spirit would. I think that you’re too human for this spell to work.”

Cole sank cross-legged onto the floor and rubbed at his head. “But that won’t help. Humans can’t see the right way. Thoughts get in the way.”

“Why don’t you get some rest, lamb? We can think of something else fun to try tomorrow. Maybe I’ll show you both a better sort of bondage.” Isabela pulled on Cole’s shoulder until she had his head arranged comfortably on her lap. She ruffled his hair.

“You didn’t bring the right rope, red and ready,” Cole murmured but closed his eyes. His breathing soon smoothed over into a peaceful cadence and Isabela raised her stern face up to Merrill. 

“I’m not tired,” Merrill said before Isabela could try to put her to sleep. She sat down and pushed dirt over the blood on the ground. She would seal it right later. At the moment she wanted to watch Cole dream and see if she could tell where he went.

 

“This isn’t the same,” Cole said in disappointment. He knew that he was dreaming but there was nothing white or menacing around him. He was simply in an empty version of the caves he’d fallen asleep in.

Cole sighed and walked a bit, tracing his hand along the wall as he went. He felt better than he had since they’d come to Kirkwall. He felt stronger and surer but that didn’t help him know what he should do. Kirkwall needed him. He just didn’t know what it needed him to do.

After a long walk down dark tunnels he found the entrance to the cavern. Outside the sky was vast above him while Sundermount spread out beneath. He wandered over to the edge of a cliff and looked out. If he looked very carefully he could see the faint outlines of Kirkwall off in the distance. It appeared smaller than it had before, the towers less clearly defined than they’d been when he’d look at them that morning and the bright fires of the vibrant city dimmer than they would ever be at any time of the day.

Cole brought his thumb up to his mouth and considered. He slowly reached out with his other hand and tried to pierce the aching heart of the city.

He heard something, which was new, but it wasn’t the anguished howl he’d heard when they’d first arrived. It was a soft, deep murmur of awareness that was pulsing out in steady waves. It felt new, fresh.

Empty. Cole pulled away, suddenly sad and not understanding why. He swung his legs over the edge of the cliff and watched the soft fires of the newly constructed Kirkwall until morning came. 

 

“I want to use your mirror,” Cole said in a hesitant voice to Merrill. They were walking a bit behind Dog and Isabela, who had found what had to be dangerously old booze in a sack and were celebrating their discovery with excited cheer.

“The Eluvian? Why?” Merrill ducked her head gracefully under a low piece of rotting wood. She’d watched Cole sleep for several hours each night over the past three days but he’d been quiet as a mouse the whole time. It was actually rather boring. Isabela had refused to let them try more blood magic and since Merrill didn’t think it would do anything anyway, she’d agreed.

“I want to ask a friend about my dreams.” 

“A spirit friend?” Merrill asked, face flushed a bit in excitement at the thought of witnessing two spirits communicating through her mirror.

“No,” Cole said thoughtfully. “The flesh is real. It started out as a dream but when he woke up he couldn’t take it off.”

“Like you?”

“No. I wanted to be this.” Cole suddenly ran ahead and stabbed into the air next to Isabela’s arm. A man shrieked and appeared beside her.

“You sneaky prick!” Isabela shouted and shoved her dagger through the bandit’s chest. “That’ll show you to challenge the finest pirate on these and any other waters. Right, boys?”

Dog and Cole’s affirmations were interrupted by the swarm of men that suddenly converged on them all. 

Merrill sighed at the distraction and set fire to the closest bandit. 

 

“Did you kids have fun with Rivaini?” Varric asked. His regular broad smile was strained around the corners and Isabela immediately started scanning the house. Hawke was nowhere to be seen.

“Poor Cole is starting to feel poorly but I think we all enjoyed the caves as much as we could,” Isabela said. Cole nodded, his pale face flushed a bit with fever. 

“We saw hundreds of spiders,” Cole said. He paused. “But then we killed all of them. That was sad.”

“You’re sick again?” Varric reached out a hand to Cole’s forehead, suddenly feeling his age. He could very easily have a son Cole’s apparent age and he thought he would feel exactly like this if he did, anxious and worried about every decision he made concerning him.

“Probably just the terrible Lowtown water,” Dog said. He wrapped an arm around Cole’s shoulder and pulled him close. His voice was blithe but the look he gave Varric said everything.

Varric sighed. “Well, it’ll just be us tonight. Hawke and Aveline were invited to this fancy dinner party that the Viscount is throwing.”

“You didn’t warrant an invitation?” Isabela smirked. She sank into one of the plush chairs and began pulling out her filthy daggers, spreading them out on the antique table.

“Guess not.” Varric rubbed his chin. It actually had been a surprise that he hadn’t gotten the invitation. Normally the nobility were all aflutter over the possibility of his newest book. “Hawke wanted me and Fenris to go as her dates but I figured that three was a crowd.”

“That’s never been my opinion.” Isabela began swiftly cleaning the spider viscera off of her daggers, depositing it all over the table and floor.

“We’re gonna head in early, I think,” Dog said slowly. “Big trip and all.” 

“Yeah, that sounds good.” Varric watched the two of them head up the stairs, Cole half-asleep against Dog’s side. Merrill sat down at the table across from Isabela and wrinkled her nose at the mess. Varric turned to them. “So is it just me or is the Kid allergic to Kirkwall?”

“The Fade is different here,” Merrill said, leaning sideways in her chair. She stretched her feet out towards the fire and sighed. “We’ll take care of it, Varric.”

Varric raised an eyebrow in surprise at her determined tone. Isabela shrugged at him.

“It’s no use trying to talk to them about it. They’re both stubborn,” Isabela said. She stood up. “I’m starving. Let’s go eat everything in Hawke’s pantry. That’ll teach her not to be here when I come home.”

 

Cole stood in a long white hallway, stretching out in both directions as far as he could see. Normally this would be enough to interest him but his attention was completely focused on the dead elf propped up against the wall in front of him. Blood was still dripping from his eyes and ears as Cole knelt down to examine him. He felt like he knew the man but he didn’t recognize him. He touched his hand, still tightly gripping the broken top of an old staff.

“So you did come back.” The voice was low and everywhere, pounding into his already pounding head. “I thought he’d scared you away. How wonderful to see you again. My new friend.”


	18. In Which the Fenris Is Bad at Parties and Cole Makes a Long-Distance Call

_Cole was in a long white hallway, stretching out in both directions as fall as he could. Normally this would be enough to interest him but his attention was completely focused on the dead elf propped up against the wall in front of him. Blood was still dripping from his eyes and ears as Cole knelt down to examine him. He felt like he knew the man but he didn’t recognize him. He touched his hand, still tightly gripping the broken top of an old staff._

_“So you did come back.” The voice was low and everywhere, pounding into his already pounding head. “I thought he’d scared you away. How wonderful to see you again.”_

Cole rose to his feet like he’d been dragged up by his shoulders. The voice had surrounded him on all sides like a thick fog but he still peered down both sides of the white hallway for some sign of the speaker. He felt confusion rise in him that was far too familiar as he spoke, “Why did you kill him?”

“Kill him?” The voice sounded surprised. Offended. “Don’t be foolish. I merely took back the gift that I gave him. He was disrespectful to you, which is disrespectful to me. He will think of his mistakes in the deep until he has learned to curb his appetites.”

It didn’t make sense. Cole had a sudden moment of perfect realization that this was what people felt when he spoke to them and it dropped him to his knees beside the body once more. He took a moment to examine it more closely. The man had been dead for some time by the looks of him but the smell wasn’t the reek of decay and death that Cole knew so well. Instead it was another familiar smell.

“He was possessed,” Cole realized. He glanced up into nothing. “You gave a demon this body to use and then took it away again.”

“Yes, of course, little virtue. We’ve spoken of this so many times before.” The voice rose to a painful level, so loud that it reverberated through Cole’s aching body. “I am tired of being forgotten.”

Cole pressed his palms to his ears but his head still rung with the sound of the Forgotten’s angry voice. “I remember. That’s your name. This is your home.”

“Yes.” The Forgotten’s pleasure slipped around him like a warm bath. “The weaker your flesh is the better your spirit remembers me.”

“Are you making me sick? So that I can remember?” Cole reached for his daggers. He wasn’t really sure what he would be able to do to fight the formless demon speaking to him but the cool feel of the metal under his hands was comforting.

“I touch nothing beyond my walls. When you leave me I am blind to you and all that you see.” The Forgotten paused. “The sickness in you shines like a beacon in the void. It makes you bright and beautiful. Once my other friend was as bright as you.”

Cole pressed his back against the cool wall and put his head in his arms. The body beside him slid a bit to the side. “I don’t understand. Are you killing the elves in Kirkwall?”

“Enough!” The Forgotten roared through him. Cole shuddered hard into himself. “I am weary of you always speaking of the dead and dying elves. That is all those creatures do. And I know nothing of the city built on blood and bone. I want a new conversation. Speak to me of your friends again. Tell me more of the woman whose hand glows like a gateway.”

“No,” Cole said, pressing his lips into a firm frown. “I will help you but not while you’re hurting me. You have to stop.”

The Forgotten growled in frustration. “If you will only speak nonsense then I don’t want you here. I’ve enough of dreary and dull creatures here. Leave.”

“But I’ll just come back.” Cole rubbed his face. “Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow. Help me understand what you are and why I’m here with you.”

“You understand nothing and can understand nothing. You barely try. You are a weak virtue clinging to your unnatural flesh. I need no flesh or virtue. I am and will forever be and I don’t need you. Now leave!”

The last shout actually pushed Cole back, shoving him roughly into the white wall behind him until it split open and he fell into a deep green pool. He sank into it in seconds. It felt like dying.

Cole woke in the bedroom, sweat dripping from his brow as he pushed off the layers of blankets Dog had covered him in. He reached blindly on the other side of the bed but Dog was nowhere in sight. He abruptly remembered the terse conversation they’d had before he’d fallen asleep.

_“Maybe we should think a bit on leaving the city, rabbit. Just until things have settled.” Dog brushed his hand against Cole’s burning brow and frowned at him._

_“No,” Cole said and the shivering that seemed to come from somewhere deep inside his body rattled him so hard he couldn’t say anything more, couldn’t explain how impossible it would be to leave when Hawke and the others needed help._

_“Right. Of course. Wouldn’t want to think of yourself for even the tiniest moment, would you?” There was a black shape in Dog’s mind that Cole had seen there on occasion but it had never been directed at him before. Dog forced it down like he always did but the kiss he pressed against Cole’s flushed cheek was brusque and after tucking him down into the covers, he stomped out of the room._

So Dog was still gone and the fragments of his dream that Cole was still clinging to promised to leave as well. He forced himself out of bed and found his journal on the windowsill but by the time he dipped his quill into the inkwell, he could only remember two words.

He stared at them. Elf. Forgotten. 

Slowly Cole curled his hand into a fist around the quill. A black shape began to grow in his own mind. He was so tired of this.

 

If one more well-dressed noble tried to give him their empty glasses, Fenris was going to make them swallow it. 

The air in the Viscount’s courtyard was cool against his drink-flushed face as Fenris circled around a large tree. It reminded him of the tree in the alienage, although it was not nearly as big, and even though he’d never understood the city elves’ obsession with having their tree, he had to admit that it was beautiful under the dark night sky.

“So here you are,” Hawke slurred from behind him. Fenris turned around to see Hawke’s sharp smile wrap around a large bottle of wine as she took a long swig. She rubbed her mouth with her hand and then against the ornate dress she’d worn to the party. She waggled her finger at him. “Good dates don’t walk out on you in the middle of dinner.”

“I’m certain that you’re the only one who noticed.” Fenris took the bottle when Hawke offered it and took a long drink. He chuckled in surprise at its rich, rolling taste. “Where did you get this?”

“I might have looked for you down in the wine cellar before coming out here.” Hawke sat down heavily on a bench in front of the tree. She leaned her head back and whistled. “I should get me one of these. Do you think that Merrill would like it? I could build her a little house in the top.” 

“I should go, Hawke. I don’t belong here. With them. They’ve made it abundantly clear.” Fenris wrinkled his nose as he gestured towards the manor. He’d tolerated their knowing glances and whispers long enough for one night.

“What do you care what they think? I don’t belong with them either. If they’re not asking me about the fights I’ve been in, they’re making snide comments about my pirate wench.” Hawke spread her hands up in a long stretch and laughed. “Or they’re throwing their noble sons at me. I suppose being the Champion makes up for having an apostate for a father.”

“Why did you insist on my coming with you?”

Hawke swallowed and reached for the bottle again. She grinned her sharp smirk at him but he could see how frayed it was on the edges. He abruptly noticed how tired his friend was, how her smile never reached her eyes. He’d only seen her like this in the months following her mother’s death. “You’re my second-prettiest friend. I have to think of appearances.”

Fenris had to laugh. “So you brought an elf from the Tevinter Imperium?”

“People expect a certain degree of outrageousness from me.” Hawke bit her lip. “And I just feel better having you here with me right now.”

“I can take care of myself, Hawke,” Fenris said, mood slightly soured by this reminder of how ridiculously protective Hawke had become over the past few weeks. “You can’t go everywhere accompanied by every elf you’ve ever met just in case someone tries to kill them.”

“Of course not. I don’t even know where that good-looking assassin is right now. But I'll bet Bela knows,” Hawke mused thoughtfully.

“Lady Hawke, I beg your pardon. I didn’t mean to interrupt.” The Viscount Lumile du Marais was only halfway into the courtyard but he turned as though to leave.

“Please stay,” Hawke said brightly. She waved her bottle at him. “If you share this with me, I’ll feel better about having stolen it.”

The Viscount chuckled and came over to them. He took the bottle and had a small, discreet sip. “Thank you.”

“It’s yours anyway. Aren’t you neglecting your party?”

“For at least a little while, thankfully.” The Viscount sat down beside Hawke and sighed. “The nobility are certainly eager to show their support for my rule with as much helpful criticism as they can muster.”

“Well, speaking on behalf of the Amell family I would like to lodge formal complaint against your main course. Terribly dry, wouldn’t you say, Fenris?” Hawke threw her most carefree smirk over to him.

“I wouldn’t know. You ate mine and yours.” Fenris crossed his arms and stared at the Viscount. He was a young man, nondescript with light eyes and a careful manner. Fenris didn’t know anything about his family but that didn’t mean much. He didn’t make it a habit to memorize the complicated family trees of the Kirkwall nobility.

“I wonder if I may be so bold as to inquire why the younger Lady Hawke was not in attendance tonight?” The Viscount took another measured sip and handed the bottle back to Hawke.

“Bethany is dining with the First Enchanter in the Gallows. Again.” Hawke couldn’t entirely disguise the irritation in her voice. Fenris could count on one hand the number of times he’s seen the Hawke sisters disagree on something but Bethany’s insistence on returning again and again to the newly-constructed Circle in Kirkwall was becoming a sore point.

“Ah, I am disappointed that she was otherwise engaged but I will say that I am pleased that your sister is spending time with the new First Enchanter.” 

“Really? Why?” Hawke tried to make her question casual but it came out as sharp as her eyes on him. 

The Viscount blinked in surprise. “I would think that it would be self-evident, Lady Hawke, but you must know how much weight your family’s actions have in Kirkwall. I want the mages of this city to know that they can feel safe to return to the Circle and having your sister’s support will be instrumental in that. The nobility have for too long tried to hide away their gifted sons and daughters and the lowers classes fear every footfall outside their door is a Templar boot.”

“Bethany hasn’t rejoined the Circle yet,” Hawke said firmly, all humor gone from her voice. She stood up, legs shaky and nodded to Fenris. “I think we should get Aveline home before she accidentally tries to dance or something equally horrid.”

“I apologize if I’ve offended?” The Viscount stood as well.

“No offense taken. I just remember Kirkwall’s history when it comes to making the Circle safe for mages. I think that my sister will be safer with me. At least while there’s a blood mage running loose in the streets.” Hawke actually dipped into a credible curtsy. “Good night, Viscount du Marais.”

“Lady Hawke.” The Viscount nodded his head. Fenris could feel his curious eyes against his back as they went.

“Was that wise, Hawke?” Fenris asked her as they walked back into the manor. “You might have Templars at your door come morning.”

He didn’t add that he thought that it would be entirely reasonable for them to take Bethany to the Circle. Hawke knew his feelings on the matter.

“Maker, I hope they don’t come before noon. I’m going to have such a terrible hangover.” Hawke swallowed down the rest of her bottle and tossed it to a surprised nobleman. “I will protect my sister, Fenris. I will protect all of you. I promise.”

Fenris stopped a moment to let Hawke take the lead in front of him so that he could stare at her tense back and think. She was coming apart at the seams. He just hoped their friends would be enough to put her back together when she completely unraveled.

 

“Listen, love, I’m confident that you know what you’re about but I’m really sure that I just want a drink,” Dog said shortly to the pretty barmaid at the Blooming Rose. 

She shrugged at him but placed a large flagon down on the bar just the same. Dog grabbed it and swallowed it down before she could turn away. He pushed it back to her. “Once again, please.”

“You look to be having an interesting night,” Charade murmured. Dog had found her father in the Blooming Rose just like she’d said he would but he hadn’t realized that she was an equally familiar sight in the brothel. He hoped that they usually liked to visit at different times at least.

Dog reached into his bag and pulled out six tokens. He dropped them on the bar top one by one before picking up his new flagon and drinking it dry. “Already had one. All the nobles are up the hill with the Viscount so I’d figured their homes would lonely for them. Every single one of those gits had one of these tucked up somewhere secret.”

“How did you find them?” Charade picked up one of the tokens and curiously turned it around in the light.

“Dumb luck, all of them. They hid them under desks and inside books but it was like I was meant to find them. It’s like they were calling to me. I can’t explain it.” Dog gestured to the barmaid again. “Don’t stop on my account, love.”

She snorted in disbelief but refilled his glass. Dog leaned in close to Charade, whispering conspiratorially, “That mark on them? Looks like something, doesn’t it? Like a message.”

“I don’t recognize it.” Charade tapped her fingers on the bar top. “Perhaps it represents their secret organization?”

“A secret elf-murdering cult? This city is rotten from top to bottom. Burning it down would only ruin ashes.” Dog ran his hand through his shaggy hair. Charade narrowed her eyes at him.

“We don’t know one another very well yet, friend, but I feel like you’re upset about a few things other than our murderer.”

“Had a bit of a fight with my lover. No.” Dog clenched his fists in frustration. “Would be something if it was a fight. He don’t fight. He just says what’s right and I have to watch him kill himself to make it happen.”

Dog quickly drank his beer and pushed back from the bar. “I’m not sitting around and waiting for Hawke to stumble her way to the killer. We’re going to fix this, me and you, and then Cole and me will leave this bloody town and go back home.” 

“What’s the next step?” Charade flashed the pretty barmaid a friendly smile and pushed a few extra coins to her across the bar.

“They know things down in the Circle, right? They have all those books. Maybe they’ll know what this means.” Dog shoved the tokens back into his bag and nodded to her. “Let’s go to the library.”

Charade shrugged. “Not my usual haunt but let’s give it a try.” 

 

Merrill was curled up in a chair reading one of Varric’s newest books and giggling to herself at his transparency when her door flew open. Cole came in, face strangely determined, and walked over to her mirror by the dresser.

“I need your mirror,” Cole told her without looking her way. His eyes were locked on the mirror’s clean surface and his fingers were clenched into the soft blanket he was covered in. He clearly wasn’t wearing anything under the blanket.

“Of course,” Merrill said, blinking. She closed her book and set it on the table. “Right now? Are you sure? You still look peaky.”

“I’m forgetting and falling and it won’t stop because the city was built on the tears in the world and something is looking through those tears.” Cole turned a pale, wild face on her. “I need help. He slept between the tears and he knows how to build a wall.”

“Who?” Merrill practically leapt to her feet in her eagerness. “Who are you going to contact with the Eluvian? And how?”

Cole frowned and turned back to the mirror. “He sees through the mirrors. They’re his eyes and ears, whispering the truth hiding in the shadows of this world. If he sees me now, then he’ll let me through. Please.”

A few moments passed and then as Merrill watched the surface of her mirror began to wobble and glow, bright in the relative darkness of her bedroom. Cole nodded and without a moment’s hesitation walked through the Eluvian. Merrill squeaked in surprise and tried to follow but when she reached the mirror all she could see was her own reflection gaping back at her.

 

“Where are your clothes?” Solas asked Cole. He was sitting on an ancient stone chair, one hand propping up his chin as he gazed serenely down the steps to where Cole stood shivering in a bright green glen. 

Behind Cole was the mirror he’d stepped out of and a host of other mirrors, all showing people and places. Cole recognized some of them, like Skyhold, busy and bustling, and the Inquisitor, far off in a foreign land and giggling to Sera. Others were unfamiliar. He saw an enormous creature swimming in darky, briny waters pass by one mirror and in another a city filled with sharp edges and bronze statues, magic slipping around like water. 

“I need your help. I can’t see and something is growing in me that I can’t touch. I’m afraid that it wants to change me.” Cole trembled in his cocoon of blankets but his face was firm as he looked up at Solas.

“I thought that you wanted to be changed.” Solas nodded to a curious elven scout near a pillar, who left immediately. Solas leaned forward. “But I will do my best to help you. We are friends, after all. And I always remember my true friends.”


End file.
